Neon Lights & Blood Rites
by blossomtoxin
Summary: Rey Beckett is struggling with the cost of college - so when she's offered a seemingly perfect overnight job that pays well at one of the world's largest tech companies, she thinks it's a dream job. She wasn't banking on her boss being dangerous, and strange, or on her disappearing coworkers. Vampire!Kylo x Rey
1. Horrible Bosses

Rey felt the day looming on her with ominous significance, as it was the first day that she was to begin her new job. She couldn't afford to sleep all day, though she was sure she might have preferred that. Her alarm buzzed loudly and it's tinny, irritating sound was enough to sink into her dreams and rip her from the place of sleep. She groaned, reaching out to slam the dismiss button. She wanted to snooze, and she did, until her roommate Rose busted in and started yelling at her about getting out of bed. Rose had been up for hours, and she had promised to help Rey get up so that she wasn't late. She groaned again in response before rolling out of bed.

She was wearing underwear, and she pulled a robe over her bare shoulders before she fully opened her eyes. Rose had gone back into the kitchen where Rey could smell the coffee brewing and the bacon burning. Rose hadn't gotten any better at cooking, despite her varied attempts and her refusal to give it up. Rose worked from home, so she unfortunately had time to try and develop her hobby. Rey flopped down at the kitchen table, glad to have a mug of hot coffee placed in front of her. She put her face into it, inhaling the smell of it before she took a sip. The first sip of coffee in the morning was always the best.

Rose set a plate in front of her that had rubbery scrambled eggs on it and bacon that had been cooked for just a moment too long. Rey crunched into it, finding that she was tired enough to avoid actually thinking about the food. Food was food.

"Thanks Rose," She said, shoving a bit of scrambled egg into her mouth. "It's...uh, good,"

"You're a bad liar," Rose said, eating a piece of bacon. "But thanks for trying,"

"Any time,"

Rose looked at her electronic wrist band and pointed to the bathroom.

"You better get going or you're gonna be late for school,"

Rey hopped up with as much energy as she could, moving back into her bedroom and finding her way to the bathroom. They had to share, so they carried around shower caddies to keep out of each other's way as much as possible, but Rey often found bottles of Rose's stuff sitting around. It didn't bother her, really. She took a quick shower and slid back into her bedroom. She dressed in ripped jeans and over sized hoodie that said "garbage fire" that Rose had gotten her down at one of the street fairs they'd visited one weekend.

She tied her hair back into a high pony tail and began shoving stuff she needed into her backpack, trying to choose out which books she needed and trying to figure out which notebooks were which. She really should be more organized with this, but it was tough when every free minute you got you spent trying to catch up on sleep.

She had two classes and a lot of time to kill in between, but because of her full class load she couldn't just sleep it off in the student commons in one of the "comfortable" chairs where she was sure more than a few students had slept it off before. She sat in an empty, uncomfortable chair underneath an air conditioning vet (though it seemed they were all under AC vents). She pulled out her beaten up laptop and a few textbooks, beginning the arduous process of finishing up what she hadn't gotten done the previous night. Students came in and out around here, sometimes she had someone sitting next to her and sometimes she didn't, but she didn't notice much of a difference.

When it was getting closer to the time to get to class, she started gathering up all of her belongings and shoving them into her already overloaded backpack. She really needed to clean it out, and felt the punishment of it every time she swung it onto her shoulders. Text books weren't any less heavy the more expensive they got...though she thought they might have found a way to do that with all the money that was sunk into them each and every year.

She made her way to class, which was a few hours long, pulling out her laptop and sitting in one of her favored seats. It was a lecture hall, and it was freezing, and she was thankful for Rose's gift. She pulled her hood over her head and dove her hands into the kangaroo patch, watching the two boys who had sat in the row ahead of her. Poe and Finn always sat together, and were always laughing about something. Finn looked back at her and waved, and she smiled and waved in return at both of them.

"Finish the homework?" He asked.

"Just barely," She said, unable to hold back a yawn.

"Yeah, me too," Poe laughed, pushing a dark curl out of his face. He had the sort of handsome looks that made everyone stop and take a second glance at him, but he seemed to have eyes only for Finn...who she wasn't sure had noticed yet.

"I'm Rey," She said, holding out her hand. He shook it and then so did Finn.

"Nice to meet'cha, Rey," Finn said, though they were diverted from their conversation as the professor made himself apparent.

The class was boring, and by the end of it the professor had filled up the white board with a bunch of scrabbled dry erase notes. She had kept up as best she could, but she was glad when time was up and she was able to shut her laptop. She put it away beneath her textbooks and waved goodbye to Finn and Poe. She had to get home and get ready for her shift at her new job.

She thought it was weird that they had an overnight position open for an assistant, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. The shift started at 9:00 pm and lasted until 5:00 am, and it was part time. She didn't know when she would sleep, but she had enough time to catch a few hours of sleep before she would have to get to class. She needed something, she was already behind on her loans and though she knew Rose didn't care, but she felt bad that her roommate had to pick up everything all of the time.

She took her bike home, almost getting nicked by a pissed off tourist who was angry about the time he had to spent waiting in the traffic, though despite being irritated after the interaction, she got home just fine. She dragged her bike up the steps, her arms burning a bit with the activity before busting into the apartment and setting it against the wall where it left black smudge marks. Rose turned away from her computer screen, her head set askew on her head.

"Hey Rey," She said. "Nice entrance. Long day?"

"Some asshole almost hit me," She said, thunking her book bag down onto the table noisily.

"Did you throw rocks at his car?"

"Nope, wish I would have thought to carry rocks around with me," She smirked, shaking her head.

"Always next time then," Rose got a call and un-muted her headset, turning to answer the phone with her standard greeting.

Rey quieted down and went into her bedroom, undressing and taking a quick shower. She pulled out the outfit she'd chosen for her first day. They hadn't insisted on business professional, but they had hinted that it might be a good idea in order to do well at the job. She had bought an entire new outfit that she couldn't afford, and it consisted of a pencil skirt, a bright red shirt that had ruffles at the breast and a blazer. She had never in her life owned a blazer, but she thought it was a good idea. She dressed and pulled out a pair of patent leather heels that were black in color. She never wore them, and they were still in pretty good shape. She put them on just to get a look at herself in the mirror before she put on a light layering of makeup and lipstick. She was out the door in minutes, Rose waving after her.

She took her bike with her, but ended up walking it the short length between the apartment and the office. She put on her work shoes and stuffed her flats into her backpack before entering the office. It was a bit of a ghost town. She could tell that most everyone had gone home for the night, except for a few people who had either stayed late or had late hours. She stopped at the front desk, finding a tall, willowy purple haired woman sitting there, flipping through a magazine.

"Oh thank god," She muttered. "You're here," She shut her magazine and tossed it aside, standing up and grabbing her purse. "He's already here, so you'll have to answer his calls and forward them if necessary,"

The girl briefly explained what she was to do. Answer the phone, take messages, answer emails and help with inquiries about the company. Open the elevators for people who wanted to go up. Check in with the security guard at these specific times. She had to make sure that the front desk ran smoothly, even if it was going to be a slow night. The purple haired woman said it was always slow, but there were nights when Ren was in a bad mood and would dump a whole load of work at her desk. She clapped her shoulders awkwardly and wished her good luck before rushing out of the office. Rey wasn't sure, but she got the feeling that her new boss made the day secretary highly uncomfortable.

Rey watched her run out into the night, hailing a cab and disappearing (presumably) to head home. Rey wondered at it for a moment before her thoughts were distracted by the ringing of the phone. She rushed around the desk and answered it, taking note before scribbling down the message on an old post it pad that was laid near the computer.

She didn't expect to see much of her boss, and after she'd forwarded the message through to his email, she watched the box for a few moments to see if he would reply. He didn't, not surprisingly. The phone was silent then, and she was able to finally settle in and look at the place.

It had the look of a high cost building that took itself too seriously. It was decked out with a lot of shining marble and black obsidian. She wondered how much it cost to keep the floor that shiny. It had to be a great deal of wax. There was no carpet, and the company's logo loomed large behind her, a graphic that had been designed by someone and then put up; SOLO TECH. She hoped one day to do that, but for now, she had to settle with being a secretary.

The computer had a huge monitor, and it was crystal clear. She messed around on the internet for awhile, seeing that those that had come before her had done the same thing. She watched a few videos before the phone rang again. She answered it; "Solo Tech, this is Rey," and heard nothing on the other end. She didn't even hear breathing. She tried again, but after a few minutes, she disconnected by pressing her finger on the receiver slowly before setting the slender phone piece down.

She didn't receive any other calls for almost an hour, and she realized she might just be here to babysit the desk in the event that there was a call. Her "lunch" was at 1am, and she would get a half hour to get up and make coffee, but it was still two hours away. The time crawled by without much to do, and she was so drowsy that she couldn't keep her eyes open. Eventually, she fell asleep slumped over the desk.

She didn't hear the phone ringing, or at least it wasn't loud enough to wake her up, instead resembling a quiet sort of purr rather than a ring. It presented itself in her dreams, but it wasn't enough to make her aware of the fact that she was sleeping until a deep, booming voice shook her awake.

"Miss Beckett!" He said, loudly.

She started up, almost falling out of her chair. One of her shoes had fallen off and she had the imprint of the note pad on her cheek. Blearily, she looked at the owner of the voice. He stood there, tall and imposing. He had a full head of dark hair that was vaguely wavy and nearly reached his shoulders. He was wearing what she was sure the most expensive suit she had ever seen, tailored expertly to his exact specifications. She thought about how she could pay off a huge chunk of her student loans by selling that suit. When her eyes finally reached his face, he looked irritated and expectant in receiving some sort of excuse from her. This was him, then, her boss. Before she got a chance to look at his eyes, where she was sure she saw just a vague pinprick of red, he looked down and she couldn't see it. When he looked back up, his eyes seemed normal.

"Oops," She said, her face resembling that of a kid who had just had it's milk spilled.

"Oops?" He repeated. His voice was so deep that she was surprised at it. "Oops," He repeated again, before he leaned in to get a good look at her. Whatever he was looking for, he seemed to find it. "I'm sure you think that this job is an easy job, working here at night and getting paid far too much money to babysit a desk," He spoke as if she were three years old. "That phone rang twenty times before it rang back to me," He said, through his teeth in a motion of barely contained rage. She flinched, though she realized she probably shouldn't show weakness. "You are here to answer the phone," He said, spitting out his words like venom. "And if you don't have enough to do, I will be glad to ensure that you do,"

Rey stood there with her hands behind her back, trying not to flinch again. She was realizing why this job had such a good pay rate, and why they'd been looking to fill the position almost immediately. It had been too good to be true, but Rey had spent months looking for something that would even think to accommodate her schedule and paid well enough to at least put a dent into her loans.

"I'm sorr-"

"Don't apologize," He said bluntly, holding up a large hand with perfectly trimmed nails. "I don't care to hear it and I'm sure you don't mean it,"

She clamped her mouth shut, trying not to wince at the ire in his tone.

The moment was broken when the alarm went off on her phone. It played 'Iron Moon' by Chelsea Wolfe, and the heavy guitars and wail of her voice would have been enough to wake anyone up. He glanced at it, and then at her, waiting for her to grab it and shut it off. She did so in a hurry, watching it slip from her hands like butter and sail across the desk onto the shiny flood below. It spun out, and Rey stood there like an idiot with her hands out and her mouth open before she realized he was not going to pick it up for her.

She quietly and carefully came out from behind the desk, retrieving her phone. She was disappointed to see that the screen had shattered with the impact, and the disappointment must have registered on her face. Quietly, she turned the alarm off and stood there without saying a word.

Kylo Ren looked at his expensive designer watch before he looked back at her. He took a few steps towards her, like a predator rounding it's prey. She noted the confidence in his walk. He was not classically handsome, but he was big enough and imposing enough to make up for it. He had the sort of confidence that probably made people want to look twice at him, and though she was fighting hard to keep her eyes on her feet, she raised her gaze to meet his own. There were those strange, red pinpricks.

"Half an hour for lunch. If you're late, I'll know," His voice was quiet, and dangerous.

She let out a sigh of relief once he disappeared behind his office doors, or at least into the hallway that lead to them, his hands in his pockets as if he were just taking a casual stroll around the office. She watched the back of him for as long as she could before the doors swung shut behind him.

"Shit," She muttered, looking again at her phone with a frown creasing out her features. "Great," She had about a year and a half on the contract and she had dumbly opted for no insurance.

She set her phone back in her backpack, making sure it was muted. She grabbed her debit card and headed towards the break room, finding it was dark, outside of a few feral glowing vending machines. The break room was equipped with one of those coffee makers that used pods, and she picked one out before setting it into the machine and putting a paper cup underneath where it would spew out. She stood in front of the vending machines for a long time, realizing that this was more expensive than snack food should ever be. She sighed, picking out a health bar that she hoped would keep her awake for the remaining hours of her shift.

She was regretting her decision to take this job, but now felt stuck. It was what she had been searching for, wasn't it? Why shouldn't she try and stick it out?

She hurried back to her desk early, glad to find he wasn't standing there and waiting for her. He scared her, his strange eyes and his voice that crept up underneath her skin and caused her to get goosebumps all over. She shivered, trying to shake the encounter off. She looked at the clock, sad to find it was only 1:30AM even though she already knew that it was.

He didn't give her much time to recover, as she heard him beep in over the intra-connected intercom. She answered the phone quickly, though she didn't get time to even greet him before he started speaking.

"Come to my office," He said, before slamming the phone down so hard that it hurt her ear. Did he do it on purpose?

Quietly, she made her way past the doors, badging in with her name badge before she found his office. It was austere, like the rest of the building, but lined with a large collection of what looked to be first edition books. She would have liked to have had time to look at them, but she wasn't allowed to.

Without looking at her, he handed her a bunch of thick files filled to the brim with papers and numbers.

"Take these and put the figures into and excel sheet," He said, before handing her more of the folders. There were so many that she was having a hard time keeping them from falling to the ground. She supposed she shouldn't have lied on her resume about having experience with excel.

"Yes, sir," She muttered, blandly. He glanced up at her, arching his brow as if inquiring why she was still there. When she turned to go, he spoke her name again.

"Bring me some coffee," He demanded. "Light sugar, light cream,"

"Yes, sir," She repeated, leaning forward to catch herself from dropping the files.

The rest of the night was spent in much of the same manner, the first hour or so being filled with her running back and forth to the break room with some new coffee order. The first time she had used too much sugar and cream. The next time, not enough. Then, there had been a good amount, but the coffee was too hot. Then, too cold. Each time she got back into his presence, she became more determined to show him up, and to prove to him that she could do this job no matter how he tortured her. Eventually, when it seemed she had made a good cup of coffee, he dumped it into the drain. His office had it's own personal kitchen, and a place where she thought he might sleep.

She stared at him, in disbelief, after watching him do it.

"I don't like coffee," It was all he said, before handing her another large stack of papers.

Each time she got back to her desk and tried to settle in to doing what he'd told her to do, ie busy work, she heard his voice over the intercom calling her back into his office for some asinine reason. Before long, she was tasked with picking up his dry cleaning before coming into work the next day, and making a whole series of calls for him. She was sure there had to be a rule against calling out this late, but when she tried to question it he looked at her in such a way that sent chills up and down her spine. If looks could kill.

By the time her shift was nearing it's end, her shoes had given her blisters on the back of her heel, both of which had popped and bled. She was too fearful of asking if there was a first aid kit, and she was forced to put on her flats to try and spare her ailing feet. She was exhausted, the kind of emotional exhausted that settled in deep and would not let go until she was able to get a fifteen hour nap. She was so thankful when the morning secretary came back in, she was sure it showed on her face.

"Wow," The purple haired woman said. "Rough night?"

"Yeah," Rey said, blandly.

"He give you all that?" She motioned towards the files.

"Yeah, but I never got a chance to finish it,"

"Don't worry, I'll finish them for you," The woman whispered, conspiratorially. "He likes to torture us, but I've gotten good at excel," She smiled. "I'm Hilda," She offered up her hand.

"Rey," She said, shaking the woman's hand.

"You better get going, you look like you could use some rest,"

Rey nodded, thankful to be set free from this place. She picked up her backpack, her plans of finishing homework having gone completely out of the window, and went outside. She unlocked her bike and sailed home, doing her best to ensure that she didn't fall asleep upright. She couldn't fathom carrying it upstairs, so she locked it in the bike locks in the lobby and took the elevator.

When she slogged herself into the apartment, she saw Rose standing in the kitchen making coffee. She turned, spotting the dark bags under Rey's eyes and her overall exhausted stance. She looked concerned, but remained quiet for the moment as she watched Rey set her backpack down and slide into the kitchen chair. She placed her chin in her hand and closed her eyes, so tired that she felt this must be what it was like to be brain dead.

"How was the new boss?"

Rey opened her eyes, looking at Rose with a look that could only be described as hateful.

"He's an asshole."

* * *

new au! try to keep your pants on.


	2. Missing Persons

Rose had convinced Rey to miss one day of classes, even though she knew she'd regret it and her graphic art teacher was less than forgiving when it came to absences. She had emailed him, though, and he had responded with an abrupt: iFeel better. See you next class./i She had never missed a class, so she hoped that this one time would be excused and ignored. Rose shuffled her into her bedroom and flicked the light off with stern instructions that she should go to bed as soon as she could. Rey fell into bed, still fully clothed, and fell asleep immediately.

 _Rey felt like she fell into a dream that was taking progress without her. She ended up right in the middle of it, and suddenly, she was at her new job, behind her new desk. When the phone rang, it sounded as if it was miles off and sinking into a large body of water, and she found it hard to answer. She could never quite reach the phone. It was like she was driving a car and she couldn't remember how to drive a car. Finally, she answered the phone, feeling herself sink ever smaller into the floor. There was no one there, just the distinct feeling that there was someone on the other line. She kept repeating hello, hello? until she hung up the phone._

 _She heard him calling for her. Always 'Miss Beckett', sometimes it was brushed along the lobe of her ear like a lover's whisper, and other times she could hear him yelling, giving her the sensation of falling in her sleep. The more she walked in the direction of his office, the smaller the hallway got; the darker the atmosphere. He was baiting her, pulling her forward even though she began to realize that she was crawling the hallway had gotten so small._

 _Her knees bruised with the hard floor, and his voice got closer. It came from every which way before it was a flurry of repeated whispers, all in his voice, all insistent. Miss Beckett, Miss Beckett, Miss Beckett. If it had been a spell, she certainly would have felt cursed. The louder and more insistent they got, the quicker she crawled, until the hallway opened up, sending her spiraling into the darkness below. As soon as her body hit ground-_

Rey shot up, releasing a startled gasp and realizing she was now awake. It had only been a dream. A nightmare, really. She groaned, feeling a fervent pounding in her head. She had a feeling of having overslept; her mouth was dry and her thoughts were foggy. She was still exhausted, but now, a sort of aching had settled in, as if she'd been sleeping in one position for too long. She groaned, rubbing her forehead to try and stop the pounding headache.

She looked at her phone, which was blinking purple on her nightstand. She unplugged it, and fumbled, unable to see what she was doing until she reached over and turned on her lamp, nearly knocking it over for the third time in the process. She had six missed calls, which was unusual even if she had missed class. All of them were from Jo, the woman that had hired her. Oh no. She found her voicemail before hitting the button, bringing the phone to her ear. Each voicemail became more frantic than the last until Jo asked her if she'd be willing to come into her shift early. Something had happened with Hilda, and she'd gone home for lunch and never returned.

Rey couldn't say she blamed her, but she wished she'd gotten the woman's number so she could call her and thank her for being kind that morning. Rey didn't want to go into work early. She didn't want to go into work at all, but she had to hope that the first nights hazing from the horrible, prick boss was going to get better. It had to get better, right? All she had to do would be to prove to him that she was capable of the job, and he'd lighten up on her.

A little voice in the back of her head said: t _hat man will never lighten up on anyone._ She quashed it, deciding to ignore it for the time being. She slid out of bed, pulling her hair out of her face. She found it was tangled and bumpy from sleeping in a ponytail and she was forced to try and pluck the band from the mess it had made. She grabbed her brush and tugged it through her hair before she pulled her robe on. It was a fluffy thing in the most obnoxious color of pastel pink she had ever seen, but it was warm and it served it's purpose well.

She shuffled out into the kitchen, expecting to see Rose sitting at her desk, but the apartment was empty. It unsettled her more than she already was, hoping to see a familiar face after her weird dream. She found a note on the fridge from Rose, in which Rose told her that she'd be gone for a few days. She'd decided to go upstate and see her parents. Rey frowned, though she was glad Rose had at least warned her. Rey made herself a pot of coffee, hoping it would help her to feel less drowsy. She emailed her other professor before she dialed Jo back.

"Oh, Rey," She exclaimed, obviously relived. "I'm glad to hear from you. Sorry to interrupt your day, but I was hoping I could ask you to come in early tonight? We have someone in line to stand in for Hilda tomorrow if she doesn't come back, but I need someone here," She was pleading, it seemed.

"I can be there in a couple of hours," Rey said. "Is that alright?"

"Yes, perfect, I can watch the desk until then,"

"See you then," Rey said, hearing Jo hang up and the line disconnect.

Rey released a groan when she remembered Mr. Rens dark voice and his irritatingly condescending tones about how she should pick up his dry cleaning and continued groaning. She shuffled back into her bedroom.

This time, she was less focused on her appearance. If she was going to make it through another night, and a longer night, she had to be comfortable. Her flats were business casual enough. She pulled out a pair of dark, khaki dress pants and a simple collared shirt. She tugged her blazer on, finding the look was good enough. She didn't care to impress him with her appearance, in fact, the less he looked at her the better. She hated him already. She adjusted her blazer angrily before mocking his tone. She paused, pinning a small bee brooch that her foster mother had gotten her before she left home to the lapel of her jacket, just to add a bit of sparkle.

"Miss Beckett, you're here to answer phones," She pulled her face into the ugliest one she could manage before she grabbed her purse and shoved her phone into it.

She was no longer under any illusions that he would leave her enough time to work on homework, so she left her backpack behind. He probably wouldn't leave her enough time to do anything. She would be forever running back and forth between his office and the break room, getting him coffee that he didn't even want. It would be her new hell.

She stopped at the dry cleaners, which was out of her way, and handed over the ticket he'd shoved in her direction the night before. The man looked at it, before heading back to retrieve the suits that had been left behind.

"You're the new assistant?" He asked, seeming to be well acquainted with Kylo Ren.

"No, I'm just the receptionist," She said, frowning as she pulled out his heavy black credit card and handed it over to the man. She was surprised he'd trusted her with it, but even he seemed to know that making her pay for the dry cleaning on his very expensive suits would have pushed a boundary.

"Hmph, well, good luck. Mr. Ren is a piece,"

She didn't know what he meant by that, but she took the card back and stuffed it into her wallet before shouldering the heavy suits in an attempt to keep them dragging on the city sidewalk. It was still light out, but by the time she made it to the office (after one maddeningly unbalanced bike ride), the sun was going down. It was still an entire three hours earlier than when she was originally scheduled to come in. She pushed the door open and found Jo sitting at the desk, speaking on the phone to someone in what Rey liked to call: baby this mad customer tone.

"He made you pick up his dry cleaning?" Jo asked in disbelief after setting the phone onto the receiver with a click.

"Yeah, I made the mistake of falling asleep last night," Even though Jo had hired her, she felt comfortable admitting it.

"Oh yeah, he really doesn't like that," Jo said. "Go on back and hang them up. He isn't here yet,"

Rey nodded and took them into his office, which was open and the door was left ajar. She was relieved he wasn't here yet, and she found his closet and hung the plastic wrapped suits up in an area where he'd see them so he wouldn't come for blood thinking she hadn't picked them up. When she moved through the small kitchenette, she realized that he had a coffee maker with a whole selection of pods resting right there on the counter. She'd been so caught up last night, she didn't realize it.

"He had a coffee maker in here the whole time?" She muttered, under her breath. "Jerkwad,"

"What was that, Miss Beckett?" His voice shot through the quite sharply, and Rey found the hairs on the back of her neck standing up before she realized she had made a mistake.

Slowly, she turned around.

He had expensive sunglasses pushed over his hair, though the sun had mostly gone down by then. He was wearing a three piece suit, with a silk tie tucked into the vest and a silk scarf tucked into the jacket. Diamond cuff links glittered at his wrists, and even those seemed a bit flashy for him. His dress shoes were shined and pointy, just like his attitude. She wanted to make fun of his nose, and his too big lips, and shout neener-neener at the end of it, but she was forced instead to be polite. This was her job, after all.

"Nothing, Mr Ren," She said, making her way quickly to the door to try and get out of the splash zone as quickly as she could. He slid quickly from where he stood, blocking her path out of the door. She might have been small, but she was prepared to fight him if he cornered her. She had a sick image of shoving one of his expensive pens into his jugular.

"I could have sworn I heard you say something, Miss Beckett,"

She realized she might not get out of there unless she gave him some sort of answer.

"I was just noticing that you have a coffee maker in here," She said, as kindly as she could manage.

"Oh, right," He said, flippantly. "Well, you never asked," He looked smug, and he lifted his sunglasses off of his dark hair.

She tried to duck around him, but he got in her way again. This was like schoolyard bullying all over again, except that this bully was a good deal more frightening than any she had dealt with in school. He didn't have acne, and she couldn't take comfort in the fact that he was dressed badly (because he most certainly wasn't). He held out his hand and looked at her with raised brows. She was surprised at it until she realized what he was after; his credit card. She tugged it out of her purse and resisted the urge to chuck it behind her, thinking he would only force her to go pick it up before he'd let her leave. She handed it to him, and he stepped out of the way of the doorway.

"Miss Beckett," He said, his tones warning. "I expect to see you back here in an hour,"

She stood stiff, pausing briefly before she nodded her head and quickly made her way back to the front desk.

"I hate him, I hate him, I hate him," She was muttering under her breath when she freed Jo from the front desk.

"We all do," Jo said, trying to comfort her new charge as best she could. The files that had been there the night before were gone, but Jo didn't say anything about it. Rey wondered if Hilda had finished them before she had left. "Don't show any weakness," Jo warned. "He's like a shark that way,"

"A shark?"

"He smells blood in the water,"

And with that very ominous final sentence, Jo said goodnight and shuffled out of the front door.

Rey found that the evening hours were busier than the overnight hours, and she took a good deal of calls and fielded a good deal of e-mails. She forwarded them where they should go, and helped people in and out of the building, directing those that had never been there to the correct areas on the map she was barely starting to get a handle on. An hour passed quickly and she realized she had a small alert on 'yakker', the office messaging system. It was him. Surely he was too busy to be sending her personal reminders?

The calls had slowed, but she felt uncomfortable leaving the desk without switching on the automated messaging system that would play a recording and allow the caller to leave a message. She shoved her purse in a drawer, though she paused briefly to realize that someone's belongings were still in there. She frowned, but she didn't have time to think on it right at that moment.

She knocked at his door softly, hearing his voice.

"Come in," He muttered, obviously distracted with something. He was sitting in front of his laptop, the blue glow the only thing lighting up the room. He had a panoramic view of the street, which was littered with neon signs from noodle shops and all night convenience stores.

"You wanted to see me?"

"I have a proposition for you," He said, glancing up briefly from his laptop. He motioned in an exasperated fashion to the chair on the other side of his desk. "Well, sit down,"

"I'll stand," She said, proud at her small moment of defiance.

"Fine," He said, standing up and coming to the other end of the desk where he parked his butt and looked her over. She fought the urge to step back, Jo's words ringing in her ears.

No weakness, no weakness.

"I'm in need of an assistant," He admitted. Big surprise there.

"So?" She asked, blinking at him. If he was going to treat her like she was stupid, she might as well act stupid. At least in that very moment when it felt good to do so.

"So, I want you to be my assistant," He said slowly, looking at her down his nose.

"No," She said, bluntly. If he was surprised, he hid it well, but she couldn't imagine why he would be surprised, or why he was even offering her the job to begin with.

"I can't even make coffee," She blurted out, unable to stop herself.

"No, you can't," He agreed. "But that's why there are twenty four hour coffee shops and credit cards," He said. Was he teasing her?

"Are we done?" She asked, her tones clipped. She was barely hiding her disdain for him then.

"No," He said flatly. "I'll double your pay. I'll pay you time and a half for hours worked over the normal work week," He slid a piece of paper out of a folder and handed it to her. It was a non-disclosure agreement, and a contract pledging her time to him for a full year. That wasn't alarming at all.

"I go to school, I don't have time to work overtime," She said.

"Oh really? Do you have student loans?" There was nothing friendly in his tone.

Damn it.

"You got that blazer at some sort of convenience mart, I'm sure. And the shoes you were wearing last night had to be years old," He said, airily. "It's obvious that you're in need of money,"

"No," She said again, flatly, rebounding back to his offer of employment. She couldn't believe this man, and though she couldn't help it, her cheeks flushed hot with embarrassment. He didn't even seem to notice that he had hurt her feelings.

"Think it over," He said, smirking at her. She could have slapped him. She tried to hand the disclosure agreement back to him and he wouldn't take it. They stood there, staring one another down for a long time before her hand fell back to her side, paper still clutched within.

He dismissed her with a little wave of his hand and mouthed the word 'Go' like she were some sort of dog to be ordered around.

"Oh, and Miss Beckett," She paused. "If you won't accept this agreement, you can consider your employment here terminated by the end of the week,"

She had to think that if she hadn't fallen asleep last night she wouldn't be going through all of this. She stormed back out to the front desk, completely forgetting that she had wanted to look at the belongings that had been left in the drawer, or that they were even there.

* * *

Arrogant bastards and blackmail were not what she had been expecting. She was sure that she should not accept his offer, and she should listen to her gut and pack up her stuff and leave at the end of the week and never come back. She kept thinking of his eyes, and the timbre of his voice, and despite how much she wanted to hate him, she didn't want to give him the pleasure of her leaving. It was not a good reason to keep a job, just to try and get under someone's skin, but she was determined where he was awful.

He left her alone that night, which was a blissful reprieve. She was thankful she hadn't had to march back and forth between the break room to get him coffee he wasn't going to drink, which left her some time to try and complete what class assignments she could on the work computer. There were more people in the building that night, a small pod of IT people who took calls during the night time hours and the manager who watched over them. When she went to the break room to eat lunch, she found it wasn't empty and dark.

"Hey," One of the girls said. "You must be the new receptionist. I'm Edie," She said, smiling.

"Jakob," Her friend said. "Y'all are beginning to be like mythical creatures. Hard to find and don't last long,"

"Jake, shut up," Edie said, spooning up some store bought ramen into her mouth.

"Rey," She said, grasping her purse a bit awkwardly. "I don't see why it would be difficult for a receptionist to keep this job," She couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"You've met him, then?" Edie asked. "We're lucky, he doesn't deal with us as much," She shuddered. "He gives me the creeps,"

"Me too," Rey said in response.

Rey had brought a lunch in that night. She had packed a frozen dinner that was basically just mac-n-cheese and a sad little apple. It was better than spending her hard earned money on the vending machine. She microwaved her frozen meal and sat down across from her two new coworkers. Well, past coworkers, it now seemed like.

"He's already fired me," She admitted. "End of the week,"

"Wow, that's a new record," Jake said, blinking in a surprised fashion. "What'd you do, insult his mother?"

"I fell asleep my first night here,"

"Oops," Edie said, mimicking what Rey had said the night before.

"Yeah, oops," Rey replied, pulling an amused and sad face.

"Well, look at the bright side, usually he just shouts and doesn't give you even a week, so I suppose you should feel lucky,"

"Oh yeah, I feel really lucky,"

They all laughed.

On her way back to her desk, she checked her phone. There was a new message from Rose, who explained that her time at her parents might be longer than she was expecting. Rey frowned and mentally noted to call her when it wasn't so late. She had an email from her professor, telling her that she could gather the notes from the missed lecture from a friend and she would be fine. She had graphic design, traditional art, math, and a science class. She struggled with the math class just a bit, and it didn't help the her professor was completely unforgiving.

She pulled out the drawer that was designated for her belongings, and her attention landed on the purse again. She couldn't fight her curiosity this time, and she tugged it out of the drawer. She thought maybe it was Jo's, but when she thought back to that evening she remembered that the woman had had a large tote bag. This was an old Coach bucket purse that looked well worn and well loved. She zipped it open, hoping to find an ID. Maybe there was a way she could call someone or have Jo call someone.

She pulled out a wallet that had glitter all over it, and clicked it, watching the thing swing open. There were credit cards, and a phone that was held in the wallet by a small elastic band. Rey furrowed her brow in confusion. She had a bad feeling about someone leaving their phone behind. She realized when she pulled the ID card out, that she recognized the photo. It was Hilda. It shocked her. Why would the woman have left for lunch and not taken her things with her? Why would she have left her phone? And why hadn't she come back for them?

Rey slid the ID card back into the wallet, trying to turn the phone on. It was dead, and there was no charger in the purse. Her charger wouldn't fit it, so she decided not to mention what she'd found to anyone just yet. She could ask Jo about it tomorrow, she supposed, but she felt the need to keep it quiet just then. She put the purse back in the drawer, troubled with the significance of it. Surely if she meant to leave on lunch and not return, she would have taken her belongings with her - and if she'd forgotten them, she would have come back by now.

She swallowed heavily, reaching for the fresh cup of coffee she'd made. She took and unsteady sip of it, finding it burned her tongue and forced her to cough a bit.

She was glad when the sun began to rise and Jo finally came in. She looked tired. Rey had shoved the small purse within her own, intending to take it with her. She didn't want it to disappear. She had a bad feeling it might have if she'd left it there. She thought she might look through her phone and see if there was someone she could call to find out if Hilda was alright.

Jo looked at Rey and smiled. They exchanged pleasantries before Rey broke out into the unusually chilly morning. The cold woke her up a bit. She wouldn't have long to sleep today, and she couldn't miss any more classes. She was glad she wouldn't have to be back at work that night, though. It was her day off. She had split days off, worked into where her heavier class days were, which meant she wasn't really going to get a break.

She went home and found the place was a let down when Rose wasn't there. That reminded her to call her roommate. It was early, but she thought the woman was probably up already. It rang a few times before she picked up.

"This is Rose," She said, distracted.

"Hey Rose, it's Rey," She said, though she didn't get a response right away as Rose seemed to be speaking to someone in the background.

"Sorry Rey," She said, suddenly back on the line.

"Is everything OK?" She asked, concerned for her friend.

"Well, no," Rose said honestly. "My mom got diagnosed with cervical cancer," Rose said. Rey could tell she was having a hard time not crying. Rose and her parents were very close. "I think it's probably better if I stay up here for awhile,"

"I understand," Rey said, quietly. "I'm so sorry, Rose,"

"Listen, my dad isn't going to pay for that place if I'm not living there. I know this puts you in a rough spot, but he's going to break the lease and send movers in for my stuff," Rey had always thought that Rose's parents were well off, but she realized they'd never really talked about it. "The apartment said they could give you a few weeks to get out of there, but that's really all they can spare,"

Rey felt her heart sinking into her stomach.

"Oh," She said, obviously disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Rey, I tried to talk him out of it, but I don't pay for it..."

"It's OK, Rose, it isn't your fault. You should be there for your mother,"

"I'm glad you're not angry," She sounded relieved.

"No, I'll figure something out," Rey said. What, she didn't know. Homelessness? "Keep me updated, Rose. I have to catch a few hours of sleep,"

They hung up after a few moments, and Rey sat at the kitchen table with her arms wrapped around her legs. She was trying to make herself as small as possible, and she was chewing on her nails, an old nervous habit she had mostly broken herself of. She looked at her phone, vaguely hoping that Rose would ring her back and tell her it was all a big joke, but it didn't happen.

Rey pulled the contract out of her bag and set it on the table in front of her next to Hilda's forgotten purse. She fingered the edge of it before she leaned down and filled it out, signing it. It really did feel as if she was signing her soul away to the devil, but the desperate had a tendency to do those things.

Afterwards, she caught a few hours of sleep.

* * *

The day of classes went by uneventfully, and she made her way home again. The day had gone from chilly to sleeting, awful gray rain, and she was damp when she got home. She had a boat load of homework to do, and she knew she had to do it then or she might not get time. The landlord had already posted a notice on her door, letting her know how long she would have to get out of there. She frowned as she read it, releasing a heavy sigh.

She finished her homework and repeated the whole thing the next day, finding that her shift had come on her quickly through a haze of homework and lectures. She hadn't slept much, but after class she'd gone home and caught a few hours of sleep before she'd showered and dressed. She wore an old pair of Doc Martens over a pair of tights and a short skirt. Her sweater was overlarge and comfy with a sort of criss-crossing pattern on the back. She pulled the sleeves down over her hands before she began digging around for her umbrella.

She had charged Hilda's phone, but she hadn't been able to get any of her contacts to answer. It was so strange, and unsettling. It was as if she had never existed at all. Rey put the purse back in her tote bag, intent on putting it back into the drawer and letting someone know about it the next morning. She found her clear umbrella and went out into the drizzling night, stopping at a coffee shop and ordering a hot caramel latte.

She was early when she got into work, but there was no one at the desk. She thought maybe Jo had gone home early, but was relieved to find that she had just gone off to do an errand. She came back and Rose greeted her.

"Hilda never came back," Jo said. "I can't get a hold of her at all,"

"I'm sorry," Rey said. "Does anyone know where she might have gone?"

"It's probably nothing serious," Jo said. "She probably just decided she didn't want the job anymore and didn't want to deal with leaving notice,"

"Maybe," Rey said. She knew Jo was likely just trying to talk herself into believing that it wasn't strange.

"He'll be in meetings all night, but he wanted to see you as soon as you came in,"

"He's here already?"

"Always here on rainy days," She said. "Have a good night, hun," She shouldered her bag and left, leaving an air of emptiness behind her.

Rey put on her bravest face and tugged the papers out of her purse. They'd gotten a little crumpled with the journey, but they were intact overall. She didn't knock on the door, she just pushed it open. He was at his desk. She was glad to see surprise registering on his face, it felt like a small victory. She held the papers out, dropping them on top of whatever he was currently doing. She knew she was being rude. She didn't care.

"I'll do it," She said. "But I want a sign on bonus, effective immediately,"

Kylo Ren laughed.

"How much?"

"Twenty-five hundred," She said simply. She might be risking the offer, but he had seemed so interested in hiring her on.

"Fine," He said, and they shook hands. His was unnervingly cold.

"I want you to write it out and sign it," She demanded, waiting there in silence until he had. He made a copy of it, handing it over to her.

"Effective immediately," He replied. "Or within three to five days, depending on your bank,"

When she moved to go back to the front desk, he stopped her.

"Miss Beckett," He said.

"What?"

"Your office is there," He pointed across the hallway. "For now, we'll be moving up into the upper floors shortly,"

"What about the front desk?"

"The security guard will fill in until we find someone to fill the position,"

This was too weird, but she was so broke and desperate she ignored the bad feeling in her stomach.

* * *

2 **chapters in one day on this here au. try to keep your pants on.**


	3. Murder Mysteries

Rey went back out into the lobby which was dark and glowing only with the SOLO TECH sign. She expected the lights to turn on as she moved into the area, but they didn't, and she hurried behind the desk to grab her belongings. She started to hear a dinging noise, indicating a text message. At first, she thought it was her phone, but a quick check confirmed that it was not. With some horror, she realized it was Hilda's phone.

She thought it was likely that someone was looking for her, so she quickly stooped over the pull out drawer, despite her better instincts. She swiped the screen open and saw that there were three text messages. She opened the text messages and found an odd series of photos from strange angles. She kept thinking that she recognized the hallway, and it took her a few moments to realize that she did. It was the hallway that lead down to the public restrooms for the building. Rey had only used them once, on the day of her interview. There was an employee bathroom in the back that she used after she was hired, but she followed the dark hallway down to where she remembered the public bathroom being.

Someone had cleaned it for the night, and the lights were off. She pushed the swinging door in and at first was relieved to find that the bathroom was empty, or so she thought. She pressed the button that turned on the flickering halogen lights, causing her to squint before her eyes adjusted to the onslaught. She felt the need to leave, but something gave her pause and she began pushing the stall doors open. She came to the last one (there were about ten), and it was the larger stall meant to accommodate those with disability. She looked underneath, surprised to find a pair of feet there, slightly akimbo as if the person had fallen asleep on the toilet. And then, she saw the blood.

"Hello?" She asked, afraid of the sound of her own voice. She knocked on the stall, and with some regret, she found that it was open.

Her breath caught in her throat when she realized it was Hilda sprawled out atop the toilet. She blanched, turning white as a ghost before letting out a scream that could only be described as ear one was ever sure how they would react to a dead body, but she saw that Hilda's throat had been slashed and her eyes were open as if she'd been watching the entire time her life drained out of her body. From the look of the blood, it seemed it had been done there. How long had she been there? How come no one had noticed?

Rey turned around and vomited straight into the sink, unable to keep her dinner from coming back up and revisiting her. She retched, her vision blurry. She thought she might pass out. Ren had heard her scream, and he bust into the bathroom with all the tact of a raging bull. He found her bent over the sink, trying to keep herself from falling down onto the hard floor.

"Miss Beckett?" He questioned, before he realized what it was that had caused her such distress.

The rest of it was a blur. Ren was smart enough to take the phone away from her, perhaps realizing that it wasn't hers, perhaps thinking that if it was hers he should try to track down where the text messages came from. He grabbed her roughly, nearly lifting her up and carrying her out of the bathroom. She was most certainly in shock, and she felt cold and started to shiver all over. It was the same feeling one got when they hadn't been asleep for awhile and they started to get very cold, except for everything seemed to be moving in slow motion for Rey.

"Call the police," She kept saying, the sound of her own voice meek and mild.

Ren ignored her, for the moment, sliding out of his jacket. She watched the shift of his muscle beneath the white of his dress shirt as he revealed it. It must have been the shock, but she wondered what it might be like to run her hands along his shoulder blades. She shuddered again at the thought, wondering if she might vomit again. What was wrong with her? He slid the jacket around her shoulders. It had a faint, pleasant scent, but she couldn't place her finger on what it was. She had expected he might drown himself in cologne, but she had been wrong about that.

She also expected the jacket to be warm. It wasn't.

She tugged it around her shoulders. It dwarfed her and threatened to fall off, and she found it was helpful for her to generate her own heat. Ren seemed to know she was in shock, but he took in the whole scene with a sort of lazzez-faire that if she hadn't been so unaware, she might have thought odd.

"Call the police," She said again, shaking thoroughly in his jacket.

"Miss Beckett, please, shut up,"

At least he had said 'please'.

* * *

Finally, Ren called the police. He took his phone out and dialed the three little numbers, hitting the dial button and holding it up to his ear. He spoke in his dulcet tones, quiet and deep, and calmly reported that one of his employees had found a dead woman in the public restrooms. They asked him questions. Had he checked her pulse? Was she breathing? Was she conscious? Yes, no, no.

Rey couldn't remember what his answers were to those questions. Her teeth chattered and she wished she could make them stop. The noise felt incredibly loud in the silence of the building. Eventually the security guard had shown up. Ren started asking questions. How many times had the bathroom been cleaned in the last few days? Had it actually been completed? These were the types of things he was not expected to deal with, but he seemed to know these were questions he was going to be asked. The guard produced the log where the cleaning staff had been initialing to indicate that the bathroom had in fact been cleaned several times since Hilda had gone missing.

The police showed up one by one, and then the detectives, and then the people who processed the crime scene. There was an ambulance, and Rey was eventually taken out front to sit inside of it while they tried to get her to come out of shock. A blanket was placed around her shoulders over Ren's jacket. They gave her small cups of water frequently, which she sipped at. They kept checking her vitals to make sure it wasn't life threatening, but once it passed she found that exhaustion set in like a heavy bag of rocks.

It wasn't to be, as soon as she was feeling better and her blood pressure had returned to normal the detectives began asking her questions. How long had she been working there? How long had she known the deceased? How had she found the purse? How had she known where to go? Ren was also questioned, in much the same manner, over and over again until the cops seemed satisfied that they'd wrung as much information as they could out of both of them. She noticed that Ren's finely manicured fingers had blood on them, probably from when he'd tried to check her pulse. They took DNA samples from both of them, and Ren, to her surprise, consented.

They didn't seem to think he had killed her, but who really knew?

Finally, he was allowed to wash his hands. The cops told them that they had better let everyone go home after everyone who was there in the building had been questioned. They told them that they had better not come back the next day, either. The entire company was notified at some point, but by who or how Rey didn't know. When she was finally allowed to get out of the ambulance, she made her way over to her bike with a bit of wobble in her step. She felt like she needed a soda.

She realized she wouldn't be able to ride her bike home, so she decided to walk it, even though it was dark out and nothing good happened in this city after one am. She still had Ren's jacket over her shoulders, but she had lost track of him after awhile. It seemed like had had left, and was likely dealing with telling the entire company what had happened. He was probably doing some sort of damage control. The reporters were already starting to show up. Rey had missed the onslaught by just a split hair.

She walked home with her eyes ahead of her, but it was unclear if she was really seeing anything at all. Images of Hilda kept popping up in her brain, and she wished she could pluck it out of her skull and scrub it clean. She knew it didn't work that way. She didn't even realize the big black luxury sedan that had pulled up behind her, and was currently following her before the window rolled down and she heard her name being called.

"Miss Beckett," It was Ren. "Get in," He demanded. She got the feeling he was used to being obeyed.

"I'm fine," Even in her state, the memory of how much she despised him and how little she wanted to be indebted to him popped up.

"Don't be stupid, Miss Beckett," He warned, his voice dropping into a low purr.

"I'm nearly there, and my bike won't fit in your car,"

"Miss Beckett, I'm not in the habit of having to ask people twice," He said. "Please get in the car," Something in his tone gave her pause, and she stopped, the repetitive sound of her bike spokes pausing.

Was it concern?

Nope, couldn't have been.

"Fine," She said, rolling her bike to the back of the car. The driver popped the trunk and she found, to her surprise, that it fit just fine in the trunk.

Ren pushed the door open for her. It was as gentlemanly as she thought it was going to get with him. He scooted back into his seat and continued looking at his phone, a great black phone that she was sure he had ordered customized, just for him. She saw the matte lettering on the back of it: SOLO TECH. He was flicking through something, sending off messages with a quick tap or two before he set it aside and looked at her.

"Are you intending on keeping my jacket?"

She expelled a bit of unbelieving air from her lips before she shrugged out of it, handing it back over. He seemed outright disgruntled by the smell she'd left on it, and he held it out and set it across from him, presumably to be dry cleaned later. Rey felt like a pouting child, and crossed her arms over her middle. Surely she couldn't have smelled that bad? She took a shower and everything.

When he looked at her, she was sure she saw that strange little red pinprick in his eyes. She kept wondering if it was a trick of the light and the deep almost dark amber color of his eyes.

She realized too late that the driver had gone straight past her apartment.

"My apartment is back there," She said, pointing.

"I know," Ren said, blandly. Obviously he had no intention of telling the driver to turn around.

"Turn around, then," She said, her tones a bit panicked. Was he assistant napping her?

"No," He said in reply.

"But I live back there,"

He held up his hand, as if he would brook no more refusal. It was irritating, and she found an urge to reach out and push it back against his forehead and ask him why he was hitting himself.

"I want to go home, Mister Ren,"

"Please, just Ren," He replied. "And I'm not taking you home,"

"Why not Mister Ren?" She said, hoping just to irritate him.

"Because, I'm fearful that the person who killed Hilda was still in the building. If they knew her comings and goings, they surely know yours,"

"So you're kidnapping me because you're concerned about me?"

"I know you get unfathomable joy from being contrary just because you despise me," He said, looking at her, his expression dispassionate. "But I would rather not lose two receptionists in one night. One will be hard enough to explain to the police," He seemed displeased about having to get the cops involved.

"You didn't even care about her," Rey said, surprised.

"She was an employee, Miss Beckett, of course I cared about her. In the way that one cares about an employee,"

"So, this is how you care about an employee?"

"Not usually, no, but tonight is an exception,"

"You could have at least asked me,"

"You would have said no,"

He seemed to know more than what he was telling her. Rey considered opening the door and doing a barrel roll out of the car, but they were already on the bridge and the car was going too fast to even consider surviving it. She knew she was being ridiculous. The thought of spending the night in her bosses company made her skin crawl just a bit. She could have started screaming, and kicking, and trying to kill him, but she remembered that just hours ago she had accepted his offer for a job to be his personal assistant. She wondered if she would be working this closely with him.

"I'll bring you back in the morning," He said, and she realized he had been watching her pout out of the window. "It isn't as if I'm taking you hostage,"

It certainly felt like he was.

* * *

Rey became distracted from the strangeness of the situation once she saw where they were going. They were in the hills, where all of the big houses were. All of these people slept away the night, unaware of what was going on in the world...at least until morning came and they turned on the news. There were so many villas and small mansions that Rey found herself wondering what happened behind the doors.

She was surprised when they pulled up to an apartment building, not a mansion. She had expected Ren to live in some strange, dark house, but here was a modern apartment that stood stories high. Ren had been silent, working away on his phone while she stared out the window like a kid. The driver pulled up front, and Rey got a good look at him. He was bald, and he was wearing sunglasses. At night? Rey found that more unsettling than Ren himself. The man opened the door for them, and Ren walked into the building without waiting for her. She wondered if she should grab her bike, but the question was answered for her when the driver got back into the car and pulled away, presumably into the parking garage.

Rey ran to catch up with Ren, who was not waiting for her at all. The man at the desk said hello, and she barely made it in behind him into the empty, high tech elevator. She looked at the glowing buttons on the touch pad and watched Ren hit the very topmost. Of course. The elevator ride felt ages long, and she missed her bed, though she couldn't say she missed returning to an empty apartment she knew she was going to have to get out of soon. This was a diversion...and adventure. She could do her best to ignore who was at it's helm.

Ren looked at her, seeming to be wondering if she was going to press all of the buttons at once like a child would, but she didn't, just looked at him with an emotionless expression before he looked away.

When the elevator opened out on to the top floor, she realized he had the entire floor. It was so cliched she wondered if she should mention the movie 'Pretty Woman', but she realized that made her the hooker here. The place was decorated with stainless steel and cold colors, just like the office was. There were checkered pillows on a leather couch that wrapped around the whole room, and at it's center was a large mahogany coffee table that had been stained black. The room was lit with low hanging chandelier lights, which were on a remote. Ren picked it up and clicked them up a few, making the room a bit brighter.

There was a TV the size of a theater TV hung up against the wall and a fireplace that had a remote and was encased by glass heat resistant glass. The kitchen had one of those high tech fridges and freezers that was set back to make it look as if it was a wall, and after Ren took his shoes off, he made his way into the kitchen to retrieve her a bottle of water. He had to be putting a lot of trust in her to bring her here. She was immediately distracted by the large windows that looked over the entire city. Below there was a network of lights and neon, and it was so beautiful that it might make one forget the actual ugliness of the city. Ren stood beside her, offering her up the bottle of water. She took it, surprised that he would complete such a gesture.

"I have a guest room," He said, pointing. "It's through there. There are clean towels and fresh clothes, if you're inclined,"

She didn't respond, but her stomach did, offering up a faint growl to indicate that it was hungry.

"Ah," He said, digging his phone out of his pants and dialing a number. "I hope you like Chinese food,"

She guessed it was because it was likely the only thing open at this hour, so she merely nodded her head. She tried to hand him her debit card, and he looked at her as if she was trying to hand him a doggy bag full of doggy poo. She flushed, putting it away and moving to get a better look at his place. She was struck with the fact that there didn't seem to be much of him here. No family photos, no favored books, not even a shelf where he kept movies. He had art, but it all seemed chosen for the simple fact that it matched the room and not for any other reason. It was almost as if he was pretending to be living here.

When he had finished ordering the food, which she assumed he would be consuming with her, he came to find she had wandered off down the hallway. She found the study, full of books that looked untouched, and a desk that looked as if he barely ever sat at it. There was a Piano in an overhanging room that over looked the mountains, and a nook where one could sit and read. It was such a beautiful place, and it seemed as if no one was ever in it.

"Do you play?" She asked, as he came up behind her.

"Yes," He seemed irritated that she had gotten away from him. "Come this way, please," He turned her around and lead her away from his bedroom, back out into the living area.

He sat her down at the couch and sat a short distance away from her.

"I want to ask you about Hilda," He said, abruptly.

"Why? I hardly knew her,"

"Did she say anything to you that seemed off?"

"No," She said simply in reply. "Only that you liked to torture all of your receptionists and she would finish the stupid files that you gave me the night you caught me sleeping,"

Ben looked mildly irritated, like someone had spilled water on his pants, but he moved on from the statement.

"How did you find her phone?"

"The police already asked me this," She wrapped her arms across her chest in a defensive position.

"I want to hear it anyway," His voice took on that demanding edge, and through his teeth he said: "Please,"

"I noticed her purse in the drawer a night or so ago," She admitted. "It didn't dawn on me that it was anyone's until I realized Jo had taken hers home, so I pulled it out and had a look at it,"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I assumed, like everyone else, that she'd be coming back for it,"

"Miss Beckett," He said, obviously in disbelief. "You must have thought it was strange for someone to leave their phone,"

"I thought it was strange, but I didn't think it was strange enough to report,"

"She didn't give you any indication she was thinking about leaving?"

"No, not outwardly, but everyone at that company hates you," She said bluntly.

He took it apace, and she found herself disappointed that he didn't seem to care that no one liked him. He didn't even bother defending himself.

"What alerted you to the phone tonight?"

"I heard the text messages,"

"It wasn't dead?" He paused. "Strange,"

"The cops will find out, won't they? Where the texts came from?"

Ren nodded. He had been forced to hand it over once the police had shown up.

Rey had left out the bit where she'd taken the phone home and tried to call out to find Hilda. She had thought that it might cast undue suspicion on her, but she realized now that in omitting the information she might be in even more trouble. She hadn't killed Hilda, but she had lied. She took her bottom lip in her teeth and began chewing at it, an anxious habit. Ren watched her, the small pinprick of red light making itself apparent before he was distracted with someone downstairs requesting to be buzzed up.

Rey watched him return with a bag full of food. She began breaking it out, eating it directly from the containers with chopsticks she'd snapped apart. She paused with her mouth full of pork dumpling when she realized he wasn't eating.

"You're not going to eat?" She asked, swallowing back her mouth full of food.

"I'm not hungry," She thought she saw the beginnings of a smile on his lips, but as quickly as it was there it was gone.

He seemed to lose interest in her then. He got a call from someone and disappeared into the shadowy corridor of his apartment where he didn't want her going. She sat there, alone, in the over sized apartment and realized that she might have been in some dangerous stuff, now. Her coworker had been murdered at her place of employment. She was going to be kicked out of her apartment, shortly. She was spending the night at her boss' place, a man she neither liked nor trusted. She wondered, vaguely, if he had had something to do with Hilda. Surely he hadn't brought her here to repeat the same thing all over again?

When she finished eating, she looked at her phone and found it had died. She realized it was unlikely anyone would be looking for her anyway. Rose wasn't home. She moved into the guestroom, shutting the door behind her and locking it. She wondered if he had a key, but the futile gesture seemed to make her feel safer.

She saw the fresh towels. The bed was simple, dressed in gray bed sheets that had a lining of silvery material darted through them. She didn't bother undressing, though someone had lain out clothes for her to change into. She crawled into the bed and found herself crying, the tears streaking down her face silently. She didn't know what had brought it on, but once it had started it was difficult to stop it. She stained the bed clothes with her tears, and wiped at her nose, sniffling quietly in the dark.

Someone was dead. Someone she had seen just a few days ago. What had she gotten herself into, just for a bit of money?

She fell asleep still crying, unable to escape the inevitable exhaustion that came after having adrenaline flushed into your system.

When she fell asleep, she dreamed again that she was crawling through the hallway that was getting smaller, and smaller. This time she knew what she would find at the end, and Ren's voice egged her on: _Miss Beckett, Miss Beckett, Miss Beckett._


	4. Sleep tight

Rey woke up to knocking on the door.

She sucked in a deep breath of air and shot straight up, looking around in a panicked way before she realized/remembered where she was. Kylo Ren's flat. It wasn't where she was expecting to find herself, and it brought the whole previous night rushing back with awful insistence. She frowned, her face was puffy and her eyes were a bit sealed shut from her sob-fest, and she realized immediately she needed to splash cold water on her face.

She heard Ren through the door.

"Miss Beckett?" Every time he said it her skin crawled, reminding her of the sinister way he whispered it out in her dreams.

"Present," She muttered, for some reason it was the first thing that came to mind.

"There's coffee,"

She took a moment to tie her hair back and slide out of the bed. Her clothes were all rumpled, and she wished for a moment she had taken them off. She felt like burning them now. She looked at her phone to find it was dead and groaned. She saw that he had a digital clock in there, one that played water sounds and whatever else someone needed to sleep; pigs oinking or some such. She realized it was highly unlikely she was going to make it to her first class. Twice in one week. She was all the way in the hills, and although she could tell her professor that her co-worker had been murdered, and Rey had found her, she didn't think it was likely he would believe her.

When she opened the door, she found him standing there looking as fresh as a daisy. She hated him. Grumpily, she looked down at the coffee he presented to her and greedily grabbed it from his hand. He pulled his hand away quickly as if he'd been shocked when their fingers accidentally brushed. She was beginning to realize he liked her even less than she liked him, which made this whole situation even more strange.

"Do you just wake up and your hair is like that?"

"What?" He questioned, dropping his brows as he questioned her in return.

"Nothing," She mumbled. "I have to get to class, can I get my bike from the car?"

"Roman will take you," He said, motioning towards the man standing in the doorway in a freshly ironed suit. It wasn't the same man from last night.

"Oh, great, Roman," She said. She looked around, finding the apartment was very dark. Black out curtains had been drawn, but she didn't get time to question him about it.

"You'll come back here tonight," He said, as if it was already agreed. "Roman will accompany to your classes, and then to your apartment, if you'd like to get your belongings,"

"A-ha," She said, looking irritated and amused. "Nope," She said. "Thank you Roman, but I'm going to go home tonight, and I don't need an escort for class,"

Ren had an expression on his face that she couldn't read, but she could almost see the loading sign pop up above his head as he tried to work out whether or not it was worth it to fight her.

"Fine," He finally said. He pulled a card from his pocket, a weighty slate gray thing that was matte where the lettering was shiny. "Call me if anything strange comes up,"

She shoved the card into her purse and sleepily gave him a goodbye. She would be glad to see this apartment getting further away in the distance.

"Miss Beckett," He said, causing her to pause. "Remember not to go to work tonight,"

"Right," She grumbled, taking another gulp of coffee before Roman escorted her out of the apartment.

When they were in the car, she pulled the card out and looked at it. There was an extensively lettered 'S.' right in front of his name. 'S. Kylo Ren' and underneath it was simply his number. This must have been his personal card, she didn't see any sign of SOLO TECH anywhere. She rolled down the window, with the intent of throwing it out into the air. The driver watched her in the rear view mirror, but he didn't say anything.

She paused for a few moments, rolling the electronic window up and deciding to shove it into her wallet. She thought she would call her foster parents. Anything had to be better than working for this man. Rey had spent a lot of time on the streets, and a street wise girl would know he was dangerous, despite all of his glittering, austere beauty and his plentiful riches. And street-wise girls' didn't play around with men who were dangerous. That was how they ended up dead. She had never been able to give up a good mystery, though.

She wasn't able to stop at home to get her charger, as she just barely made it to class on time. She didn't have any of her school things with her, but she stopped in the over priced student shop and bought a notebook and a pen. She figured it was better than missing class again. When she showed up, she must've looked a mess, because both Poe and Finn turned to look at her with an expression of obvious concern.

"Walk of shame?" Poe asked, tentatively.

"I wish," Rey said, dropping her head onto the desk.

"You look like someone ran over you and then backed over you," Finn admitted.

"Such a charmer," Poe said, pulling a face with Finn. "Do you want us to give you a ride home after class?"

"No, thanks, but I have another one after this,"

"We can hang around, we have homework to do,"

Finn nodded his agreement.

"Well, if you don't mind,"

"Nope," Finn said, shortly, before the professor came in and began his lecture.

They made an arrangement to meet up in the commons once she was done with her second class. She barely made it through, but if it was one good thing she could say for Ren it was that his creepy recitation of her name kept her from falling asleep in class. Every time she shut her eyes, she saw Hilda, and heard him in her ear. It was like he was right behind her. She started awake every time, knocking her notebook over at one point and causing the whole class to turn around and look at her in concern and probably amusement. She heard a few titters.

She was glad when the class was over and she found Finn and Poe out in the commons. There was a tray that had the remnants of a meal on it, and Rey realized how hungry she was. She didn't want to hold them up, however. She walked behind them as they lead her out into the parking lot. She had the strange feeling that someone was following her, the hairs on the back of her neck rising up like some sort of electric hand had passed down the back of it. When she turned around, she saw nothing unusual. She had seen Roman drive off and hit the freeway, so unless he'd come back, it couldn't have been him.

She quickened her pace to catch up with Finn and Poe, hoping that Ren hadn't been right about someone following her. She hated that she might be faced with admitting that he was EVER right to him. She fell asleep in the back of Finn's jeep, and Poe watched her for a few moments with a concerned look on his face. He mouthed a question at Finn, who shrugged in response. Neither of them had any idea what was going on with her. She was usually chipper, awake, and a good student. This was not a perfect picture of Rey.

She woke up with Finn shaking her gently.

"Rey, we're here," He said, motioning to her apartment. Rey sat up, rubbing her eyes and squinting against the sunlight.

"Thank you for the ride,"

"Get some rest," Poe said, handing her her purse. "I put a post-it note with my number on your phone since it was dead, if you need anything,"

"Thanks," She was more grateful than she could say for their kindness, but she hopped down out of the car and slammed the door behind her. "See you guys tomorrow,"

"Yep," They both waved, and Finn took off down the road.

Rey went up to the apartment door and fumbled around with her keys. She had the horrible thought that she left them at Ren's apartment, and her heart picked up it's pace. She was extremely relieved when she found them shoved into a hidden pocket of her purse. She slid the lock into the door and slammed it behind her, leaning up against the other side of it in the dark apartment.

It was weird being there without Rose, but her father had worked fast. Her things were gone already. They must've come yesterday when she wasn't there, or maybe today. That left only a small bit of Rey's things in her room. She hadn't had many kitchen things, and she wouldn't be surprised if Rose ended up with some of her belongings, since it seemed as if she probably hadn't been with the movers. The place felt empty and sad, and Rey sunk down onto the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees.

That left Rey about a week and a half to find a new place and move. That meant she didn't have time to sleep.

She plugged her phone into the charger, turning it on. There were a million messages from Rose, who was concerned about her. Rey called her back immediately, explaining that it had been a long night and she would tell her the story the next time she saw her. She opened her laptop and began looking at apartments, though everything that was close to work was too expensive for her. She couldn't afford a car, so she realized she would be biking everywhere or taking the bus.

She was thankful when she checked her bank account and saw that Ren had pulled through - the money he'd agreed on was there. Most of it would be gone by the time she was done moving, though, but at least she wouldn't be homeless. She started calling around to the places that were closer to work than not, and she found one that was willing to come let her look today. It was a studio, and it had a small kitchenette with a fridge and the smallest oven she'd ever seen. She didn't smell any sign of previous cigarette smoking and as far as she could see it was clean, so she paid the down deposit and the land lord gave her the key. It was surprisingly easy, which made her uneasy, but she was desperate.

The next day after class she hired a truck and quietly asked Poe and Finn if they would help her move. They agreed, which she was utterly grateful for, and they helped her move all of her stuff over that night. It took forever, and by the time it was all done, it was drizzling cold rain and they were all soaked. It started to snow as they were pulling the last load in to her new, very small apartment. She barely had the energy to make her bed and put on dry clothes, much less unpack everything, but she felt relieved.

One less thing she had to worry about.

* * *

Her new neighbors fought a lot. She was woken up in the middle of the night by a slamming door and someone running quickly down the stairs. She peered into the apartment, and for a brief moment she was sure she saw a figure of a man standing in the shadows. She reached out, quickly turning the light on. There was no one there, but her window was open, letting in the cold, crisp air that seemed even sharper with the rain.

The window had a latch on it, but she supposed if someone knew what they were doing they could get it open. She searched her memories, but she couldn't recall if it was her that had left it open. She slid it shut, wrapping her arms around herself. Her robe was buried in a garbage bag with all of the rest of her clothes, and she didn't want to start that project right then.

She moved towards the small little heating and cooling unit. Standing on her toes, she turned it on, but it smelled like burning dust and even crackled a little bit. Great, she was going to set her apartment on fire the first night of being there. She looked at her phone and found a text from Rose: Did you get moved in okay?

Rey sent off a short reply and crawled back into bed, not bothering to check the window again. It was a fluke, right?

The rest of the night went by without incident.

She woke up to the ringing of her phone. She picked it up and saw that it was Jo calling. She had been hoping that she would never hear from SoloTech again, but she knew that was too much to ask for. Jo told her that they were allowing people back into the office after the crime scene had been processed and cleaned up, and wasn't it so horrible, and she hoped Rey wasn't traumatized too badly. She had no doubt that that rumor had already spread all over the office, there would have been avoiding it.

"Can you come in tonight? It's alright if you need to take another day," Jo said. She wondered if Ren had told her that.

"I'll be there," She said simply. "Same time?"

"Yes, even though you'll be his assistant, he keeps the same hours,"

"Who's filling in?"

"No one, Mr. Ren has decided to shut the doors after a certain point for now. He thinks it's safer...I believe I'm inclined to agree,"

Rey had to admit she was a bit relieved to hear it, herself.

Rey went to class, and found that one had been cancelled. She was glad. She had set aside a little money to go buy herself things for the apartment. Cleaning supplies and food. She strapped it all onto the cargo pull on the back of her bike. She'd bought herself a few new pieces of clothing. She felt ashamed, but Ren was in her mind the entire time, his snide comment about her Wal-mart blazer ringing in her ears. At least this time, she'd gotten it at Target.

She dragged all of the items in and began putting them away before she started on the arduous process of unpacking. She unpacked her clothes first, and then all of her books and odds and ends. She made a make-shelf bookcase with boxes, which in and of itself was sad, but it would have to do until she could get an actual book case. She was also severely lacking in kitchen items, but it was another thing that was going to have to wait.

She showered and got ready for work. She had bought new flats and a new blouse, and while it wasn't any sort of huge make-over, she felt good in the new outfit. She rode her bike over to the office in the dark, though it was still early enough that the haze of the city pollution and the moonlight made it less scary. She saw the pastels of the sunset painted across the sky, and for a moment she was able to forget that she was going to SoloTech. She locked her bike up and found Jo sitting at the desk. She smiled.

"Hello, Rey," Jo said, coming out from behind the desk and giving her the most awkward hug she had ever experienced. "I'm sorry about what happened,"

"Oh, I'm alright," That wasn't exactly true, considering she dreamed about Hilda's face, twisted up in horror, every night. "I'm sorry about Hilda though,"

"Yes, I believe we all are..." Jo looked like she was about to say more until Ren himself strode in.

The distance from Ren must have been helpful, as the past few nights he hadn't been whispering maliciously into her ear. However, seeing him again brought back that twisted, tangled feeling she carried in her stomach each time she was around him.

"Follow me, Miss Beckett," He gave Jo a small nod, and she nodded in return before she headed back to the desk.

Ren was dressed in a more casual fashion than she had seen him in yet. He wore a moto-style bomber jacket over an olive green t-shirt that had probably cost more than the down payment on her apartment. It was tucked into a fitted pair of pants, and on his feet were a pair of pristine, white sneakers. He looked as if he'd been riding around in Italy with his bella donna for the entire day, but it suited him just as well as the suits. She had a feeling everything suited him, and she hated him for it.

She was expecting to be lead to his previous office, but he lead her to an elevator. It was familiar, her standing in silence next to him as they rode it up to the top floor. The offices were newly constructed and his belongings had already been moved into the biggest one that looked over the city. He must have liked views.

Her own office was a bit more modest. She didn't mind. It was right across the hallway from his, and she was the first face many of his clients would see before they went into his office. She didn't expect a whole lot of that, considering what time he did conduct his business. Her office was already decorated, and she'd been given supplies and her own laptop, which Ren said she could take home with her if needed. He also handed her a brand new cell phone.

"What's this?"

"I want to be able to reach you at any time,"

"That was not part of this agreement,"

"As I recall, there were no particulars other than your 'sign on' bonus, which I'm assuming you've already gotten,"

Rey had to admit he was right.

"I don't need a new phone, and you can reach me on my old one,"

"Your old one has a cracked screen," He said, though she didn't know what it had to do with what they were currently talking about. "And I want you to use that one," He said, his voice trailing as he went into his own office. "Really Miss Beckett, you'll have to learn to pick your battles more wisely,"

She called them and had them switch her service over, and after a couple of hours her new phone was in operation. She saved her old one, shoving it carefully back into her bag so that she could retrieve all of her personal information off of it...and in the instance that Ren threatened to fire her again, she still had it if he did.

Rey wasn't even sure what she was supposed to be doing for him, but it soon became clear. She handled his appointments, made sure none of them overlapped, and when she had down time she finished up the busy work with figures and excel sheets. It wasn't much different from what she had been doing before, but she had to admit that she felt much safer up here. She had been wrong about Ren's visitors. They came and went at all hours, some of them so odd that she found a hard time remembering their faces, as if they had purposefully been scrubbed from her memories.

Ren shoveled a good deal of work onto her. He expected her to do other particulars, as well, such as picking up his dry cleaning and making sure the car got it's service and whatever else, blah blah blah. Rey tried not to focus on the personal bits of his calendar, though she realized there were very few. No family members, no wife, nothing. No social events to speak of, unless it was directly related to the company. Ren seemed to exist only to run this company, and that was that.

Mostly, he ignored her, unless there was something he needed her to do. Rey found she was thankful not to draw any further ire from him, at least not right then. He was still rude, and abrupt, and sometimes he let slide an awful comment about something as if it were fact. She kept up with the work he gave, and she always kept a few disgusting energy drinks in her drawer to make sure she never fell asleep again. After a few weeks, she found she had struck a good balance of work, classes, and sleep.

The oncoming finals threatened to turn it all on it's head, but she had started sneaking her school stuff into the office to work on during down time. Ren hardly gave her much of that, but he had been distracted by an upcoming merger he was taking part in. The cops stopped by a few more times and asked them both a few more questions, but it seemed that for the most part, things had gone back to normal.

On a particularly slow night, Rey's attention was drawn by the sound of heels clicking along the floor. She looked up to find a woman staring at her. Rey thought that she was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She had long, pin straight black hair, and skin that was so white she was sure the term 'snow white' had probably been thrown around in regards to her. Her lips were painted a matte red, to match her nails, and she wore a black dress that was short and tight. Her heels were Laboutins, she caught a peek of the red at the bottom.

Rey was flustered in her Target blouse, but she tried not to show it. The woman had sharp, green eyes that nearly glowed when she looked at her.

"Poor you, did you hear about what happened to the last assistant?" Her voice was deep and husky, and it reminded her a bit of Ren.

"Amalia," Rey heard Ren call from his office. "Don't scare the girl, she's working,"

"No fun, Kylo," She pouted.

He sounded no more impressed with her than he had with Rey, but when she leaned up to look into his office she found he had shut the door tight, which meant she could not follow her plan of spying on the two of them. Rey frowned, unsure of what this feeling in her chest was. She didn't like it. It made her angry, and then disappointed, and then angry all over again. She tried not to think about what they were doing in there, and was glad when the alarm on her phone went off. It was time for her lunch.

There was a small shared kitchen space on the top floor, and it required a special key card. She walked towards it, quietly creeping past the door and hoping they wouldn't hear her. She badged into the room and began rifling through the coffee pods. Someone had used all of her favorites, so she picked her second favorite and loaded up the coffee maker. She wasn't hungry, so she forced herself to eat an apple.

She had the strange feeling she was being watched while she was waiting for the coffee to percolate all the way. She felt the fine hairs on her neck brush aside, as if someone had just softly blown on her neck. When she turned around, rubbing the back of her neck, she expected to see someone. There was no one there. She dropped her brow in obvious confusion. Maybe it had been the air conditioner and her over active imagination.

Maybe not.

She grabbed her cup of coffee and headed straight back to her desk, fighting the urge to lock the door behind her.

She heard her phone dinging. She thought it might be Rose, or even Ren, using this method of communication to tell her to do something without actually being at his computer or coming out to talk to her. She looked up and found that the door was still shut. She swiped it so the screen came on, and punched in the pin code that Ren had insisted on. When she pulled up the messages, the only thing she saw for the number was 'Missing', which was a status she had never seen before on any phone.

The first text message read: sleep tite

And then the second came through shortly after: blood rite

Rey was completely confused. She looked confused. She wasn't sure if she should respond, but something in her gut told her it would be better not to. Who was this, and how had they gotten her number? She would have chalked it up to someone messing with her, but those four little words kept glaring at her as she tried to work out their significance.

That morning, when she dreamed, Ren's voice whispered it. Over and over again until it was a flurry of whispering so loud in her head that she woke up sweating, and trying to catch her breath.

 _Sleep tight, blood rite._

* * *

 **share this with your friends if it makes you want to take your pants off in glee.** (o,..,o)


	5. Strange Bedfellows

The text messages didn't stop, but there were no more words, only a series of odd pictures like the ones she'd found on Hilda's phone. She had been trying to avoid telling Ren about it, considering that he had requested that she tell him, but she found the wish not to end up like Hilda was more overriding than that of giving Ren any sort of satisfaction.

Finals came and went, which Rey (surprisingly) passed. She was thankful that she had a few weeks off now, but in the back of her mind she felt that strange anxiety that things were not as they should have been. It had gotten colder, and her bike rides were now a mixture of trying to stay warm and keeping her nose from falling off. When she got home that day, she turned the heater on full blast. She had gotten a book case and a new desk after the first few paychecks from SoloTech. It was all cheap stuff, but it would work for now.

She made herself a cup of tea, putting it in a mug that she'd stolen from Rose without meaning to. She turned, realizing the window was open. She couldn't remember if she'd left it open again. Why would she leave it open? She shut it, wondering if she should call the land lord and have the maintenance guy come and look at it. She heard her phone ping, a sound which she had come to dread.

She took a sip of tea and moved to look at it, glad to find that it was from Finn.

Are you off tonight? Poe and I want to take you out!

Rey was relieved. She realized she wanted to get away from the apartment and try to forget all of the weird goings-on. She agreed to go out, and they set a time.

Rey got dressed in a pair of black jeans. She tucked them into a pair of knee-high boots. She tugged on an over sized sweater that would keep her warm, but it was nice enough to go out. She let her hair down and used her curling iron to curl it, before putting out a smokey eye and a bright red lip. She grabbed her things and met them out in the front of the apartment. Before she left, she paused to look at the window. It was closed.

"This place is probably a downgrade," Finn said, smirking.

"Yeah, definitely is, but I couldn't afford to stay in that other place," Rey hopped up into the back seat.

"Could have moved in with us," Poe offered.

"Oh, that's okay, I figure I have to get out on my own sometime," Rey replied, surprised at the kind offer. "Where are we going?"

"Food and then booze," Finn replied, shooting out of the parking lot at what she was sure was record speed.

Rey tried to ignore the creeping feeling at the back of her neck each time she thought she was getting comfortable. She tried to ignore the fact that she just felt off. She felt off, the night felt off, the entire world felt off. It was as if she'd brushed up against something and now the quills were stuck in her for life. She had fun with Finn and Poe, but there were a few times during the evening where it was obvious she was distracted, and she had to ask for them to repeat what they'd said. Both of them seemed unaware of the fact that something was off, which she was glad for. Maybe she was simply making it seem like she was easily distracted.

Finally, she got up to use the restroom in a crowded, trendy bar that closed at midnight versus two am. She found the rest room was strangely empty, and she took a moment to wash her hands and look at herself in the mirror. She had that same strange feeling of someone breathing down her neck, but when she looked in the mirror, nothing was behind her.

She took her phone out, her thumb pad hovering over Ren's number. She had saved him in her phone as 'asshole', which was not the most creative she'd ever been, but she figured he would never see it. Finally, she pressed the number.

"Ren," He answered after a few rings. By the time he had answered, she was out of the restroom.

"Hi, Mr. Ren?" She questioned, unsure of how to begin this story. She was half way through before she realized she shouldn't have called him.

"Miss Beckett, I'm busy," He said flatly. "What is it?"

"You told me to call you if something strange happened," She said back, her own tone irritable.

"Where are you?"

"Um, it's called Poseidon's Place,"

She heard the phone click, and realized he had hung up on her.

"Hello?" She tried, lamely, before scoffing irritably and shoving her phone into her pocket.

She sat back down at the table Finn and Poe had secured. They were drinking and whispering to each other, something that made Finn laugh before they both looked up at her.

"You okay?" Poe shouted, over the noise. "You look whiter than usual,"

She laughed a bit.

"I'm fine, just not feeling so well,"

"You want us to take you home?"

"No, that's OK, I'll be fine in a few moments,"

"We can order you something to eat,"

They ordered french fries that were battered in something special with some sort of super special ranch. It wasn't something Rey usually ate, but it would probably help settle her stomach, which was currently sloshing around with too many vodka martinis. They shared, and Rey began to smile again, feeling better after having eaten something and swallowed down a glass of cold water.

Finn and Poe made her laugh. They had the sort of easy connection that made her believe they'd been friends for years, and she never really felt as if she was a third wheel, though there was plenty of opportunity for her to feel that way. She was distracted when she saw Finn and Poe staring at the door. She turned to follow their gaze, and she realized Ren had come in. He brushed right past the door man, before he spotted Rey. Rey flushed and sunk down into her seat. She hadn't realized he would come to find her immediately, but she supposed she should have known better.

Ren barely looked at Finn and Poe before he held his hand out to Rey. She looked at it as if she was unsure as to what she should do with it, before outright ignoring it.

"Guys, this is my boss, Ren," She said. They both smiled and waved, but she knew better than to expect Ren to be polite in return.

"Yes," He said simply. "Well? Come on,"

"I called him," She said awkwardly. "I have something I need to do,"

"Goodnight, Rey..." They both said, obviously surprised by the sudden appearance of a man in a suit.

Rey followed him out of the bar, shoving her phone and wallet back into her purse. The car was idling across the way, and Ren barely looked both ways before he went out into the street and opened the door. Someone honked. Rey waited and followed, before sliding into the backseat with him.

"That was rude," She said, looking at him. He was looking at his phone.

"Tell me what's been going on," He said flatly, uncaring about her friends. She didn't expect much more from him.

"I don't have much to show, but, here," She handed him the phone, opening up the texts from 'Missing'. "I feel like someone's been following me for weeks. When I leave the apartment, the window is closed, and when I get home, it's open," She paused, taking a breath. "I thought I saw someone in the apartment the other night,"

Ren scrolled through the photos. His face was hard to read, but when he reached the beginning of the string, he seemed to recognize something. Those would have been the strange words: sleep tite, blood rite. She wondered what it meant. It seemed like Ren already knew. He handed her phone back to her.

"Go to her apartment," Ren said to the driver, who merely nodded and put the car into gear.

"I don't live in the same place anymore," She said, before giving the driver her address.

"You smell like vodka," Ren said, casually. "What were you doing with those men?"

"They're friends," She said, suddenly feeling the need to be defensive.

"Friends?"

"I'm pretty sure one of them is gay, so yes, friends,"

She wondered at his line of questioning and felt like tossing it back into his face. What about Amalia, huh? She stayed quiet, though. A man like Ren was most certainly a playboy, he had to be. He was rich and a sharp dresser, why just settle for one woman?

"I'm not sure which is worse, the fact that you didn't tell me about this sooner, or the fact that you're stupid enough to go out into a public place when someone has been following you,"

"You're such an asshole," She said, the alcohol loosened her tongue.

"Excuse me?" He said, his voice ticking down a pitch in a dangerous way.

"Why would I want to tell you about anything? Talking to you is like having bamboo shoots shoved underneath your fingernails," She paused, grabbing her phone back from him. "Chinese water torture!"

"Miss Beckett-"

"Shut up, just shut up," She said, looking at him with ire. He looked dumbfounded by it. "My name is Rey,"

"Miss Beckett," He repeated, as if to make this whole situation worse on purpose. "You do realize I'm your boss, yes?"

"Fine, fire me," She crossed her arms over her chest, she was tired of taking his meanness. "Bosses don't come in the middle of the night and drag their employees out of bars. Bosses don't take someone to their house because they're concerned about them,"

"You told me something strange was going on, considering that Hilda was murdered, I thought it was important to deal with it right away," It was impossible to get a reaction out of him.

Rey seemed to have forgotten, or was trying to, about the murder. She hoped that this wasn't what Hilda had been experiencing before she'd died. That meant that Rey herself might be next. She had to wonder if it was Ren who was perpetrating it, but he seemed as confounded as she was by it. They sat in silence for the duration of the car ride until the big sedan pulled into the parking lot of her new place. Ren got out and she followed, having long since given up on the thought that the might open the door for her (he never did).

He waited for her to unlock the door, but he didn't wait for her to go in first. Instead, he went in ahead of her. He saw that the window was standing open. He looked through the closet and the bathroom, and Rey suddenly found herself wishing she hadn't hung her underwear out to dry on the shower rod. There was no one in the apartment but the two of them, but he seemed like he was looking for something.

"Close the window," He said, before exiting the apartment. She did as she was told, shutting it and latching it.

Ren came around the side and she could see him through the window, rattling the latch until it fell from it's spot. He slid the window open easily. So easily, in fact, that it gave Rey the creeps. She realized that it was probably someone that was doing it, and her idea that somehow it was sliding open without any help suddenly seemed very silly. When Ren came back inside, she was staring at him. He looked even larger in this small apartment.

"What's going on?" She finally asked.

"I don't know any more than you do," He admitted.

"But you know something," She said simply.

"I know that this place isn't secure at all," He replied, and she frowned. "I know that based on those pictures, this is probably what Hilda was experiencing before she disappeared,"

"Was she in line to be your next assistant?"

"No," Ren said, immediately.

"What happened to the last one?" She remembered what Amalia had said.

"She disappeared, much like Hilda,"

"Great," Rey said. "So you hired me into something where it's likely I'm going to get murdered, or at the very least, disappear,"

"I didn't make the connection until recently," He said, moving around the apartment. He ran his hands along the upper cabinets of the kitchen. He was still looking for something.

"Well, I think we should call the police,"

"No," He said flatly. "They won't be able to help you unless someone outright tries to kill you, and by that point, it might be too late,"

"But the text messages-"

"None of which are outright threatening. You haven't actually seen anyone, you can't prove that someone has been opening that window. What are the police going to do?"

"I don't know,"

"I do," He said. "They're going to make a report, file it away, and tell you that they need more evidence to prove that something is actually going on,"

"I quit," She said firmly. Ren tilted his head and looked at her in an 'oh really' sort of way.

"You think that that's going to solve the problem?"

"Yes," She murmured. "I had no idea what you were getting me into,"

"Listen, Miss Beckett," He paused, looking at her face. "Rey,"

"Mhm?" She said through her teeth.

"This is obviously about me," He said. "If I can keep you safe until I figure out what's going on, will you agree to stay on?"

"Why do you care so much?"

"It's hard for me to keep a good assistant,"

Well, that was becoming increasingly apparent.

* * *

Ren had wanted her to move in again. She said no. They argued about it for a few minutes before he relented. She would change her number, and he would pay for a security system to be put in. It felt ridiculous for a small apartment with no valuables in it, but she didn't want to die. It was the last thing she wanted, actually. Especially not after she'd passed her finals.

The apartment manager had told him no the first time around. Ren seemed to have unusual powers of persuasion, though, and he flippantly disregarded the no and continued to persist for a yes, which he eventually got. Rey had been expecting that he would have to pay them money, but he'd weaseled his way out of it and said that the apartment could keep the upgrade when she moved out. Rey sat in the apartment the day that they came to install it, watching the workmen go back and forth. There were bars, and a key pad, and they uninstalled the regular old lock and key on the door and made it so the door was code only. The window would be impossible to get in, now, but Ren seemed to think even it wasn't suitable. She had a feeling he knew what he was dealing with.

He came by that night in a tuxedo. He had a white cashmere scarf around his neck and was wearing a bow tie. His hair had been perfectly done, and she wondered where he was going. She saw Amalia in his car, and frowned. He walked around the outside to where the window was, and found it secure for now. She wondered if he would find a way to install a bubble around her whole apartment. When he came back inside, He had something in his hand. He dropped it and held onto the chain, and she realized it was a necklace.

"What's this?" She asked, curiously. She wished he would leave.

"It's a gift," He said. "Don't get too excited, just do me a favor and wear it,"

"I don't want it,"

"I don't care," He said in reply, setting it at her desk. "Even if you carry it in your purse,"

"Fine," She said, taking the necklace from him. "You'd better go, your date is waiting,"

He stood there for a few moments, watching her, before he left. She was to go to work that night, but she guessed she would be alone in the office. She remembered his calendar having something on it about a charity gala, but she hadn't realized he would bring a date. An annoyingly pretty date.

"What's wrong with me?" She asked herself, shaking her head in an attempt to shake the thoughts off.

"So many things, Miss Beckett," She heard him say from the doorway. She hadn't realized he wasn't completely gone.

She flushed, looking down at her desk. She stood up and slammed the door behind him, pressing her back up against it, waiting until she heard the car drive away. She wished she had someone to talk to about this, so she called Rose up. She felt bad for trying to dump her problems onto someone else, but she knew that no matter what Rose was going through, she would listen.

"Hey Rose," Rey said.

"Hey Rey, how are you?"

"I'm fine, how's your mother?"

"She's doing as well as can be expected. Going through treatment,"

"How's your dad holding up?"

"He's worse off than she is, but he loves her,"

"Aww," Rey said, frowning into the phone.

"Why'd you call?"

"Just felt like hearing a friendly voice,"

"Uh oh," Rose said. "Spill it,"

Rey explained it all, from the disappearing assistant to the murder. Rose was shocked. She explained Ren's odd behavior, and his overall oddness, and told her that he'd made her come home with him that night. Rose was obviously concerned, and told her to call the police.

"Ren told me not to," She said, pulling her legs up onto the computer chair.

"He's obviously worried about what's going to happen," She said. "But it's a little weird he doesn't want you to call the police,"

"Yeah, the whole thing is awkward,"

"Awkward because he's hot?" Rose asked, unable to help the jibe.

"Yes, no!" Rey shouted, unable to help the giggle that escaped her. "Actually, he's mostly terrible,"

"He doesn't sound terrible," Rose admitted. "I mean, rude, yeah, but maybe he just doesn't know how to be sociable. I don't know of many bosses that would install a security system just because they're concerned you're gonna get hurt,"

"That's true," Rey said. "But he makes me uneasy,"

"Uneasy because he's hot?"

"Rose, shut up," Rey said, playfully.

"Rey, I have to go, but call me tomorrow, okay? Now I want to find out what happens. And be careful. Call the police if you see anything else,"

"Will do," She sighed. "Talk to you later, Rose,"

Rey wasn't one to call off from work, but she didn't feel like going that night. She called Jo and asked her to let Ren know that she wouldn't be in. Jo agreed, and told her that she hoped she felt better. Rey could do a pretty good fake cough, after all, and if Ren asked she could tell him that it came on her suddenly, that night. She left the necklace on the desk. It was a weird piece of jewelry, with a thick silver chain. The pendant was a skull with it's mouth open, and it held a black marble stone in it's mouth. When Rey held it up to the light, she realized she could see through the stone. It looked like a star-lit sky with slender silver filaments connecting the stars together.

She got a weird feeling when she looked at it for too long. She wondered how bad it would be if she wore it on her person.

She made herself a bowl of ramen and sat in front of her computer watching TV shows for awhile (she didn't have a TV yet), and then she began trying to get through some of the reading she'd been putting off during the school year. She couldn't focus. She kept thinking of Hilda, and then Ren would flit across her consciousness every so often. She wished she could get him out of her head. Finally, she stood up and got dressed, deciding she needed to walk it off.

She shoved the pendant into her purse, feeling it's weight there at the very bottom. She hadn't gotten any weird texts since she'd changed her number, but Ren had downloaded what had been sent onto his own phone. She wanted to keep a record of it herself, but before she realized it, Ren had deleted it. He wanted to keep her safe, maybe, but he was still hiding something from her.

Rey walked down to a nearby bookstore that had a small cafe in it. She ordered a small cup of black coffee and gathered up an armful of magazines to look through while she sipped at it. She heard her phone ding, and she glanced down at it. She pulled it out and opened the message. It was Ren.

Where are you?

She replied: At home.

It was a lie, but she didn't expect him to be there to suss it out.

Another ding.

You're lying. I'm standing in front of your door. No answer.

What are you doing there?

No reply for a few minutes. She decided just to ignore it, until another text came through.

Where are you?

She didn't reply. Another text came through.

Miss Beckett, I'm waiting...

She replied.

Go back to your party.

Miss Beckett, if you're ill, you should be at home in bed.

Rey sighed, aggravated. She gathered her things and made the quick walk home. She had to admit, the presence of the necklace made her feel as if she wasn't being watched, for once, but maybe that was merely her imagination. She slowed down when she came upon her apartment, finding him standing there in all of his suited glory. He looked hazy. She wondered if he'd been drinking. She looked at the car and found that Amalia was gone, which gave her a bit of relief.

However, Ren's energy put her off almost immediately. Something crackled beneath the surface. It wasn't anger, but he had this sort of intensity in his eyes. Hunger, maybe? She saw that strange red pinprick that she had just convinced herself was in her imagination. He smelled like claret and cigars; like he'd spent the night at an old boys' convention.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, obviously confused by his sudden appearance.

"I have something I want to tell you," He replied, abruptly.

"Couldn't have called?"

"No," He said. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"I wasn't, no,"

She stood stalwart, in front of her door. If she didn't open it, he wouldn't be able to get inside. She had the very distinct impression that she should not let him inside, especially when he was feeling whatever way he was feeling right then.

"I like you, Miss Beckett," He finally blurted out. No tact at all.

"What?" She asked, obviously in shock from the statement.

"I like you. I want to see you, outside of work,"

"This is strange, coming from a man who insults my clothing, my intelligence, and generally just ignores me each chance he gets,"

"Miss Beckett, you have to understand, someone in my position and you-"

"You're drunk. You have to be drunk,"

"I don't get drunk, Miss Beckett,"

"Go home, Ren. Sleep it off. Tomorrow we can pretend like you were never here,"

She turned around quickly and punched her new code into the door. She fumbled with it, and it gave a bad piano noise before she realized she'd put it in wrong. She was in such a hurry to get inside that she didn't put the correct code in. She tried it again, this time a little slower, but she paused from her actions when she realized that he was still standing there. She couldn't quite read the expression on his face. His lips were pursed together and his eyes were on the ground. He looked a bit crestfallen.

"You're right," He finally said. "You're right to be so frank," He blurted out. Rey blinked, surprised by him swinging so completely back. "Goodnight, Miss Beckett,"

He turned away from her, leaving her standing, stonewalled, on her porch. He got in the back of his car and drove off. She watched him go, her face registering plain shock and then concern. Had he been serious? She finally got her code into the door, thankfully. After three tries, it would lock her out of the apartment and she would have to call the security team. The window was closed, and she hit the code into the alarm so that it wouldn't go off. The door latched behind her.

She heard a small ding on her phone.

I expect to see you tomorrow, Miss Beckett. Even if you're bleeding from the head.

She sighed, realizing she might have just made things worse for herself.

* * *

 **that's some high key pining, space prince kylo ren darcy. way to go.**


	6. Hilda, my sweet

Rey woke up feeling hungover, even though she hadn't had a drop to drink the night prior. Ren standing at her door came rushing back to her, the look in his strange eyes, his awkward, somewhat stilted confession. She recalled all of the times he had insulted her, and decided that he was just setting her up for some sort of cruel joke. She could imagine him and that woman laughing at her.

She slept most of the day away. Without classes, she had an excuse to sleep, and she figured she had better catch up on it while still still had time. She remembered what Ren had texted her, that he expected her to be in even if she was half dead, and she rolled herself out of bed a few hours before work was set to start. She made something to eat and made a mental note to go grocery shopping again. She dressed in a knee length black swing dress and a pair of thick tights. She pulled on her heeled booties and found the warmest jacket in her closet. She did her make-up, just barely, because she didn't want to give the impression that she was trying to make an impression.

She rode her bike to work, stopping to get a coffee. Jo was at the desk, getting ready to shut down for the night. She waved and Rey said hello. They exchanged pleasantries, and Rey moved into the elevator. She was glad that she hadn't run into Ren. In fact, when she went in, his office still stood empty. She frowned a bit, but shrugged it off, moving into her own office to get started with the night.

She hadn't even realized she'd forgotten the necklace on her desk at home, but she doubted that it worked, anyway.

Ren never showed up.

Half the night passed and his office stood empty. She had no texts or calls from him, and she began to wonder if he was alright. She reminded herself that she didn't care if he was alright. She looked up every time she heard a noise, but it dawned on her that she was all by herself up here. She finished the work that had been hanging over from previous days, and the odds and ends put on her desk while she wasn't there. She watched cat videos, and checked her phone.

Around three am, the lights flickered off. The entire top floor became dark. Had Ren forced her to come into work so he could play a sick prank on her? She was immediately terrified when she heard the click-clack of heels on the floor outside. She turned her phone light on and shone it into the hallway, but she saw nothing. She gathered up her courage and went out into the hallway.

"Hello?"

She swung her phone light in both directions, and the second time she did, she saw a figure standing in the hallway. Rey's gaze took her in, and she felt like she was going to swallow her own tongue. It was Hilda. She looked wild, feral even, but she wasn't wearing the same clothing she had the night before. Rey heard her whispering her name, just like she had dreamed. Miss Beckett, Miss Beckett, Miss Beckett.

Rey turned and ran back into her office, slamming and locking the door behind her. She crawled down underneath her desk, grabbing her purse and fumbling with her phone. She dialed 911, but she couldn't get any ring. Her hands were shaking so badly that it was hard to dial any other numbers. Desperately, she tried them all. Rose, Ren, Poe or Finn. None of them rang.

She heard the sound of sharp nails scraping against glass. She turned to look, finding Hilda silhouetted against the door in the dark. Her eyes were something out of a bad horror movie, glowing red. Rey was sure she'd fallen asleep and was having a bad dream. She began digging around in her purse for the bear mace spray that she carried with her. She didn't know if it would help against a dream-ghost, but it was better than nothing. Rey heard a big clamor, and she heard something come into contact with the floor, spinning away into the dark. She wasn't sure, but it sounded as if the woman had just broken the lock out of the door.

She pulled herself back, getting as far as she could under the desk. She heard the woman whispering her name, and it was so eerie that Rey had to stop herself from just outright running to the door. She heard her saying something else, and it sounded like 'should have been me', over and over again. Was Hilda the one who had been following her?

She didn't have long to think about it. The woman found her, underneath the desk, and reached out with lengthy finger nails and untoward strength to drag her out from underneath it. Rey struggled, trying to get a hand on her mace. She kicked and fought and screamed, but she realized no one was coming. Ren would have heard her, had he been there, but he wasn't there. She wished, for once, that he was.

The woman's fingernails caught her throat, causing Rey to cry out as she drew blood. She sunk them in, and Rey finally got hold of her mace and unleashed a huge spray into the woman's open eyes.

Hilda reared back, hissing and wiping the stuff from her eyes. Rey didn't know how long she had, but she grabbed her belongings and ran as quickly as she could towards the elevator. She heard her shoes, and they were loud. She stopped for just a moment to take them off so she could run silently down the hall. She turned the corner, making her way towards the elevator. She ran as quickly as she could, sliding across the shined floor in her stocking clad feet before she heard Hilda make a recovery. The woman was fast. She was hitting the buttons on the elevator, but who knew where it was in the building. She didn't know if she had time to wait.

Finally, the door pinged open, but she felt the womans' claws sink into her leg. She yelled in pain, kicking her away before slamming the door close button. Hilda slunk back, a smile on her face. She had the thought that she had just been let go, and that it might not be the last time she saw her. But had she seen her? She was dead, or supposed to be dead. Rey broke out into the main floor, realizing the security guard wasn't at his desk. She didn't have time to make sure he was OK, but she hoped that he hadn't had a run in with their previous employee.

She could call Rose, or the police, or even Finn and Poe, but she realized that none of them would believe her. She thought she might have to make up or omit details just to account for her injuries. It was raining. She limped out and looked for a cab, and when she saw one, she realized she was lucky. This time of night, they weren't around much - as the bars had just closed.

"You alright, miss?" He asked as he pulled up.

"Just take me here," She pulled out Kylo Ren's business card, and on the back was his address. The cab driver nodded.

"That's a long way, miss, fare will be expensive,"

"It's okay, just go, please," She breathed out. He hesitated. "Please!" She shouted.

The cab driver peeled out with a squeak.

Rey's wounds hurt, but her adrenaline kept her from feeling them too much. This was the second time in a short period of time where she'd felt this way, and she felt the need to blame it all on Ren. She tried to convince herself that she was going there to quit, once and for all. She had some notion that he wouldn't just accept a resignation letter, but the pay he offered was not worth what she had had to suffer in the last month or so. Of course, he might have been the only thing standing between her and certain death, but she really believed that if she quit, all of this weird and frankly spooky shit would stop.

The cab driver didn't want to get close to the apartment building. He was a bit like an animal in the forest, superstitious and spooked. He mentioned something about that building being 'no good'. Rey handed him a wad of cash and then told him that she knew it was no good. She walked from where he left her.

It was raining heavily by that point. Her dress stuck to her and she realized she'd forgotten her coat at the office. She hadn't had much time to get it, after all. She was being murdered. She quickly walked up to the building door, knocking on it. She hoped that someone was at the desk. She peered through the rain, her hair sticking to her face and the water rolling into her eyes making it hard to see.

The door man heard the commotion and opened the glass door to look at the insane woman who was banging on the glass.

"Miss, we're only open to the residents," He warned.

"I need to see Kylo Ren," She said, hoping that he would take a look at her and let her in. "Please," She said. She didn't know if Hilda had followed her here.

The door man let her in, shutting it behind her. He called up to what she assumed was Ren's room. He explained that there was a strange girl down there, asking for him. Ren hung up on him, and Rey wouldn't have been surprised if he told the door man to kick her out. His curiosity was obviously enough to allow her access, and the door man opened the elevator for her.

"Have a better night, miss,"

He had obviously noticed her cuts and scrapes, and the general disarray of her person. Her tights had gotten torn and there were bloody cuts beneath, revealing pale flesh and red blood. Some of it had washed away in the rain, but it hurt more than she was expecting. When the doors opened, Ren was there waiting for her. He took in her appearance, dropping his brows curiously as he came towards her. He looked unfettered, but he was wearing a simple white shirt and a pair of sleep pants, which lead her to believe he hadn't been working.

"Miss Beckett," He said. "What happened?"

"Hilda," She said, barely able to spit it out.

"Come inside," He said, firmly.

Normally she would have argued with him, but she had sought him out this time.

When the door was shut behind them, Ren came closer to her than she was expecting. He reached out with both of his hands and grasped her chin, tilting her features up so that he could get a better look at the scrapes. She hadn't asked him, but she was already so shocked that she couldn't fight him off. He smelled like sleep, and she noticed his hair was a bit mussed. She couldn't imagine Ren sleeping. He was less sharp than he normally was. She didn't put together that his appearance might have had something to do with the strange conversation they'd had the night before when he'd shown up at her door.

"We should clean these up," He said, releasing her face and moving away from her.

"I-" She said, watching him turn to look at her. "That's not why I'm here,"

"No?" He turned, leaning himself up against the bar that stood in his kitchen. He wrapped his arms around his slender middle.

"I'm here to resign," She said. She was shivering. It was cold in here, considering how thoroughly damp she was.

"Couldn't have called?" His tone echoed hers from the previous night.

"You wouldn't have accepted it," She said, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Miss Beckett," He said, his voice tired. "Let me help you,"

"I-"

"I know, you don't need it. But it would make me feel better if you allowed me to assist you,"

She was stunned into silence by the statement. It was, perhaps, the nicest thing he'd ever said to her.

BREAK

He had told her to get undressed. He had done so with enough firmness that she almost did so in front of him. She was half way through lifting her dress up from her thighs when she saw him turn away and she realized what she was doing. She finished undressing as he was turned around, peeling her wet clothing off. The tights caught in her wounds, causing her to hiss a bit as she pulled them away. He handed her a towel, which was big enough to wrap around her slight frame. He finally turned around, and she handed her dress to him. She'd left her underwear on, and decided that the tights were too far gone. He threw them away for her.

He disappeared, and she heard a dryer start up somewhere in the flat. He returned with what looked to be a first aid kit.

"Have a seat," He said, motioning for her to pick one.

She did as she was told. She hated to admit it, but she felt safe here, comforted by the fact that she wasn't alone in her apartment, wondering what might slip in through the open window. Had it been Hilda who had been stalking her? She was drawn from her thoughts as she saw him lean down in front of her. He folded his legs gracefully beneath him and he grasped her leg, gently. She felt his cool touch, which seemed to warm the longer he touched her skin. It was almost as if he was sapping her warmth, just a bit. She was distracted by him, her mouth hanging open just a bit.

He looked up at her, his face exposed and almost warm.

"Apologies, Miss Beckett," He said simply. "I'm only trying to get a good look," He admitted.

"It's alright," She said, surprised at the apology.

"This will sting," He said simply, wiping the wounds clean with anti-septic. He seemed curious about them, as if they didn't quite look normal. "What did this?"

"Claws," Rey answered, obviously surprised.

"Claws?" He asked. "I thought you said it was Hilda,"

"Hilda's dead," She said, feeling her eyes water up from the sting. Or was it from something else?

"Yes, that is an established fact,"

"Is it? Did you ever see her after that night?"

"What, in the morgue? No," He said, smearing antibacterial goop over the wounds before he slid a large bandage over the surface area of her leg.

He cleared his throat, motioning up towards her face. She tilted her head out of the way to give him access to the wounds. He cleaned them and repeated the same motions.

"I'm sorry," She said. "I'm sure this is not how you're used to spending your time,"

"It's no trouble," He admitted. "I used to be a medic in..." He cleared his throat, again. "Well, it's not important,"

"No," She said softly, trying to put forth her interest. "I want to hear,"

It was easier to like him when he wasn't barking orders at her.

"I was a medic in my younger days," Was all he said in reply.

"You don't look so old," She said.

He didn't say anything in response to that, though they did look at each other for just a moment. When he was finished, he put the kit away and returned. She expected him to start grilling her about Hilda, but he didn't. He made her a cup of tea and offered her something to wear. She got dressed in the over sized sweat shirt that smelled vaguely of the laundry soap he used and pulled on the loose fitting sweat pants. She pulled the draw string as tight as it would go, but they still were huge on her. Finally, she just took them off and decided to use the sweat shirt as a night shirt. It was long enough to cover her up to her thighs, anyway.

He was standing in the kitchen. She found her cup of tea and moved her hands around the mug. He'd turned the heater on, so the apartment was warmer. She watched him move around in the kitchen, taking a sip of the tea before she was drawn to the window. She pulled back the curtains, but she realized that the pastel light of the sun was obvious. Was it sunrise already?

Ren made his way over to her as noisily as he could. She got the feeling he was trying not to startle her. She took another sip of her tea, and watched as he took the black-out curtain in hand, carefully sliding it closed. She watched him curiously, wondering at it.

"Don't like sunrises?"

"No, that isn't it," He said simply. "Uh, will you stay?" She could tell he was making an effort, but he wasn't used to having to ask.

"You don't...mind?" This was even more awkward than when he was being an outright asshole.

"No, not at all," He looked a bit pleased, even. "Were you able to get all of your things from the office?"

"No, but I got the important stuff,"

"Can I sleep on the couch?"

"Fine," He said, surprised by the question.

She sat down on the couch and pulled her knees up into the sweat shirt. It was big enough to do so. She watched as Ren grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. He did so out of habit, she supposed, but when they both looked up they realized that it was a news report. She was outside of the office.

Last night officials reported another suspicious at SoloTech industries...

Rey looked at Ren, utterly confused. He seemed to realize that he hadn't been looking at his phone, and he disappeared to retrieve it. She didn't see him again, and when she didn't, she followed him into the back room. He'd left the door ajar, and she took a step into his inner sanctum. It was warmer than the outside of the flat. He had books lining every wall, and there was a slept in bed that looked too big for just him. She wondered if he had Amalia over a lot. She looked at the photographs he had up, realizing some of them looked very old. When he realized she was in there, he quickly redirected her out and shut the door in her face.

She frowned.

Well, it had been nice while it had lasted.

* * *

It had been the security guard. At the end of the day, it had been determined that he had hung himself, but Rey couldn't believe that to be the case. At the time, he had been the only one in the building, as Ren had decided to keep the offices closed over night. Apparently it hadn't helped. Now, it seemed as if he might keep them closed altogether, and do his business from his personal office. It was going to cost him money, considering he had to put people on leave. There had been no sign of Hilda.

Rey fell asleep on Ren's couch, and at some point he draped a heavy, warm blanket over her. She had strange, muggy dreams that gave her a faint sense of unease but she couldn't remember them when she woke up. She woke up to find him talking softly on a phone call, trying not to wake her up. There was something so domestic and intimate about it she shot up from the couch as if she'd had a bad dream. She rubbed her eyes and saw him pacing back and forth. His feet were bare and he was still dressed for sleep, even though it looked as if he hadn't done much of that.

Rey pulled the blanket around herself and stood up, before she began rummaging around in his kitchen. When he hung up the phone, he found her pulling open drawers and looking in cabinets.

"Miss Becket, what are you doing?" He asked, obviously interested.

"Coffee," She said, in reply. "Gotta get home," It was like she was sleep walking.

"I'll send the security out for some," He said. "Why don't you sit back down?"

"Are my clothes dry?" She looked at him with squinty eyes, before reaching up to rub the sleep from them.

"Yes," He said. "They're in the laundry room,"

She went in and got dressed, somewhat more awake once she went back out into the living room. Ren was there, watching the news report repeating the same information for the fifteenth time. She thought that it would be on the news for awhile, especially on the heels of Hilda's murder. She pulled her dress down, looking around for her shoes.

"Rey," He said, glancing at her. "I would really like it if you stayed here," She was a little surprised he was trying it again. At least he was being much nicer this time.

"I did resign last night," She said. "I don't think I'll be a problem for you anymore,"

"I don't think it's going to help," He said, honestly.

"Why not?"

He was silent, and he looked at her with an even gaze.

"They didn't stop with Hilda," He finally said. "I think even if she had quit, she would have ended up in that bathroom,"

Rey must have looked shocked.

"What makes you think that?"

"The text messages, the stalking, the encounter last night," He paused. "It seems like you've been marked,"

"Just for working for you?"

"I don't know," He said, and he seemed earnest. "If I'm being honest, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I sent you back to that apartment and I ended up sending you to your death," He was interrupted by his phone ringing, which he answered with: This is Ren.

She found herself wanting to know more about him. Was he related to all of this? Did he know what was going on, or was he as clueless as he seemed? Was he right about the apartment? Even with all of the extra security, would it matter? She couldn't stay inside forever. And if she wanted to keep paying for the apartment, she was going to have to find another job quickly. She was having a hard time thinking about walking back into that place, however. She had been so terrified the night before, that she hadn't even thought she might have to go back.

Once he hung up the phone, she bent down to grab her shoes. She seemed to be decided on the fact that she would go home, but she hesitated in the doorway. Ren was watching her with some curiosity, his hand around his phone.

"We'll be working from here for awhile, anyway," He admitted. "The police want to do a sweep of the entire building," He leaned up against his kitchen island, and Rey found herself looking at his corded forearms.

Damn it.

 _Damn it._

"What about the apartment? You just sunk a bunch of money into that security system, and I don't want to pay for it if I'm not there,"

"I don't care about the money," He finally said, his tone resembling that of the man who had intensely regarded her and told her that he 'liked' her.

"Where were you last night?" She finally asked.

"I...thought it would be a good idea to work from home," He could have said: lick my wounds.

"I was all alone in that place,"

"I know," He finally said, seeming resolved with the fact that he had, perhaps, made a mistake. "Miss Beckett, I should tell you something about who I am,"

It was over too quickly. He was distracted by his security guard knocking at the door. He presented the coffee with a flourish, and Rey turned around to pull a face at him.

"Thanks, Roman."

* * *

some fluffy fluff after the horror. also, probably the last of the fast updates for a time.


	7. Bloody Baron

Rey found that she wouldn't get an answer to her question. Ren seemed relieved by the interruption, and then his phone rang. He picked it up and headed back into his bedroom, and Rey heard the door lock. She followed him a few steps, but she knew she wouldn't be able to get beyond that door without being noticed. She thought she could try picking it, but she didn't know how to actually pick locks, so it might have presented a problem.

She turned to see Roman standing there, looking at her expectantly.

"Shall we go, miss?"

"Go where?" She asked, curious.

"Master Ren said you might want to retrieve some of your belongings," He said simply.

"Master Ren?" She couldn't believe these people referred to him as 'Master', and she almost laughed, but then she couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to laugh or vomit.

"Mister Ren?" Roman said, shakily.

Poor Roman.

Rey found herself in the back of the luxury sedan. The sun was out, and even though the day was chilly, it was brighter than it had been for a few days. She rolled down the window to let the fresh air whip through her hair, before she rolled it back up. Roman looked at her in the rear view mirror. She found him looking at her a lot. She tried to think that it was simply that he was keeping an eye on her, but each time she looked up she saw him looking at her. It began to make her uneasy, and she wished she hadn't gotten into the car without talking to Ren first.

She had simply assumed that Ren had given his word, and that she should follow the man. She had grabbed her phone, and she kept it hidden within her purse. She realized that she might have been in serious trouble when the car ride went on too long, and they were nowhere near her apartment. She caught him looking at her again, though this time, there was none of the awkward friendliness he'd had in his face left.

She looked back at him, defiant, but she knew she wasn't going to be able to get out of the car without risking serious injury.

"I think I should call Ren,"

"You'll do no such thing," He said, abruptly.

He turned the wheel so hard that her phone went flying. When he hit the break, it threw her forward onto the seat. She knocked her head. She was panicking then, reaching around for her phone. He was reaching for her, attempting to drag her upright. If she didn't get to her phone, she might not make it. She didn't know how many more times she was going to have to fight for her life, but it seemed like every time she got into Ren's orbit, something bad happened to her.

Her fingertips felt the edge of her phone, and she quickly grabbed it, just in time to shove it into her bra before the suddenly malicious driver tugged her out of the car. She fought and screamed the whole time, but she realized that they were in an alleyway, and from what she could see there was no one around. She saw huge gargoyles, filling up the skies before she was dragged into what looked to be an old movie theater. She fought him until he got angry with her, and knocked her on the back of her head so hard the world went dark.

She was like a ragdoll, and she had the vague sensation of the ground coming out from underneath her. She was being carried, but she hadn't a clue where or why.

When she woke up again, she was tied to a mildewed theater seat. Not tied, persay, but stuck down with a good deal of duct tape. She rattled, trying to get herself free of it, but the more she tugged the more it seemed to cling. She felt it pull against the fine hairs on her arms, and it tore the hair from the skin. She hissed quietly, before she looked up to find that she wasn't alone in this great, decaying theater.

It looked as if it had been in use in the great age of film, but it had steadily begun to decline as the multiplexes became the thing. She saw that it hadn't been used for many years, even though there were old film reels stacked up. The place would have been magnificent, if it hadn't been for the destruction and general rot. One might have expected that they put her on the stage, but she realized that she had been relegated to the audience in this play. Her mouth hadn't been bound, but what she saw caused her breath to stick in her throat like swallowed gum.

There was a man on stage, very pale and bald. His features looked as if they'd been ripped apart and crafted back into a hideous mimic of a human face. His eyes were too big, and one part of his chin caved in, as if it had simply given up on living. He was skinny and scarred, and he wore vestments as if he was some sort of priest. There were others in the audience; junkies, prostitutes, kids that had just gotten lost and had never come home. Some of them looked so spaced out that she was sure they didn't see anything at all. She was the only one who was tied up, though - the others just swaying towards each other and allowing gravity to do it's job.

Rey looked back at the stage, trying to squash her panic. Whoever these people were hadn't killed her, but she didn't know how long she had. She watched as Hilda came on stage, her teeth shiny white and twisted into a grin that looked like it made her face muscles hurt. Rey knew it then. She wasn't dead, but she certainly wasn't alive. Whatever had been left of that girl was gone. Rey saw the pinpricks of her eyes glowing a deep, carnal red. Just like Ren's. She expected him to come out onto the stage at any minute, the nefarious ring linger, but he didn't.

The disfigured man gave out a rasping laugh, amused by her terror.

"You're looking around now," He said. "You haven't seen anything quite like this before, have you?" He seemed proud of the awful display.

"We never thought we'd find you," Hilda said in chipper, girlish tones. "But I knew, I knew the night I met you,"

Rey hadn't the faintest idea what she was talking about. She didn't get a chance to ask, as suddenly, Hilda was right in front of her face. Rey hadn't even seen her move, and she leaned back. Her teeth were lined with carmine red, and she smelled of rust and decay. When she exhaled, Rey caught the full brunt of the carrion smell that came up from the back of her throat. She grinned her awful grin and Rey let out a short sob, unable to stop herself from doing so.

"Oh, pretty girl," Hilda said, scratching her nails along the side of her face. "Pretty, pretty, pretty girl,"

"Don't mark her," The man hissed from on stage, milling around under the hot stage lights. "He won't come if you hurt her,"

"He'll come," Hilda pouted. "He knows just as well what she is..."

"Shhhh!" The disfigured man shouted.

Hilda backed off like a feral, rabid animal that had been snapped at by a larger animal. The dazed crowd stood together in clumps, avoiding them both. When Hilda was back on the sage, Rey took a deep breath of air. The theater smelled musty and moldy, but even that was better than Hilda's breath. She didn't see Roman anywhere, but she didn't know if he was lurking outside or not. He had seemed unlike Hilda, but she couldn't say with any sort of clarity now.

The man on the stage had disappeared, and so had Hilda. Rey struggled, finding that the strange crowd of people were milling around her, getting closer and closer. She wondered if she was here to be a meal for all of them, but none of them seemed to be present in the moment at all. Rey struggled against the tape, wondering how many layers they'd wrapped around her wrists. She had to get to her phone. She doubted Ren had even noticed she was missing, still locked away in his office. She thought it was pretty likely that she might die here, but her mind kept running over the words that had passed between them. Was it possible that they had meant Ren?

She struggled against her binds, watching as her phone slipped out of her bra and down to the floor. It slid beneath one of the theater seats in front of her. She let out a quiet curse, trying to struggle more against her binds. The more she pulled, the tighter the duct-tape got, but she thought maybe she might be able to tear it off of there. She didn't know how she was going to get out of this, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the strange people go for her phone.

"No!" She shouted, startling the person enough to give her a look of replete horror. It was almost as if she'd woken up for just a moment, her dirty hair hanging stringy in her face and revealing a set of bloodshot, white eyes.

The girl reached down, retrieving the phone with her shaking hands. She seemed to be trying to talk, but Rey couldn't hear her and she couldn't get the words out. Then she realized that the girl was whispering the words blood rite over and over again. Good, another one of these. Rey wasn't expecting the girl to help her, but she came nearer on wobbly feet. She handed the phone over to her, setting it delicately on her lap.

"Help me," Rey said, hoping to convince the girl to help her before she returned to whatever catatonic state she'd been in before.

The girl began reaching into her pockets, pulling out a few wadded dollars and an empty wallet. She kept digging, looking more hopeless as the endeavor went on. Rey frowned, her eyes screening the room to make sure the two psychos hadn't come back. Finally, the girl pulled out what looked like a small pocket knife. Rey couldn't believe her luck. It was dull, and as the girl sawed at the tape in a half-hearted fashion, Rey was sure that it wouldn't be quick enough to get her out of here before the two of them were back. Rey got one of her hands free.

She grabbed the knife and began sawing at the other, looking around wildly. She didn't know where she would go, but she had to get out of there. It was her first priority. She knew then that Kylo Ren was right, she might never be able to go back to living a normal life. Their words rolled around in her head, repeating over and over as she tried to make sense of them. What did she have to do with this? Was she just someone who had been drawn into Ren's orbit?

She got her other hand free. The girl had wandered off, rejoining the clump of other people that swayed evenly, making strange noises as if it wasn't their will. She began to move too quickly, her paranoia catching up to her. She couldn't have had much more time.

When she got one foot free, she finally grabbed her phone. There were five text messages from Ren. Each got increasingly more concerned. She realized then that he hadn't said anything to Roman about gathering her belongings. She sent him a quick text before she lost the opportunity to do so. 'Help me. Theater.' She wiggled her other foot free after having cut enough of the tape away and found herself breathing again, though she had to make her way through a clump of people that seemed to be growing in pitch and volume. What were they doing here?

She nearly tripped over the girl who had helped her. Rey thought to help her out of here, but when she bent down she realized that the girl was no longer breathing. It was as if she had just laid down and gone to sleep, and death had crept over her silently. Rey felt like screaming, and crying, but she swallowed her fears down and tried to find an exit.

The door out was locked from the outside. They hadn't want to hurt her, or so they said, but Rey got the sinking feeling she'd been trapped within the area with the other lambs to slaughter. She ran towards another exit, finding herself in a winding back hallway. The theater hadn't looked that big, but the hallway seemed like it went on forever. It got dark, and the sound of the crowd got quieter and quieter. Rey found she didn't care for the new quiet. She followed the hallway. It got so dark she had to reach out and use the walls to lead her way. Each time she reached out into open air, she went that way. She began to think she would never get out of here. Finally, she turned her phone flash light on. It was dying, and she knew she didn't have much time.

When the light hit the darkest part of the hallway, she saw a pair of eyes glinting back at her. Not human, not feline. Hilda. She gasped, dropping her phone. She heard it spin away, but she knew that there would be no chance of her finding it into the dark. She started running back in the other direction, hoping to find her way back to the theater. Now she was in a labyrinth with a psycho who couldn't seem to make up her mind whether she wanted to worship her or kill her.

Rey heard her laugh. She felt clumsy and slow, hearing Hilda cut the air with her speed and agility. She was a big cat, and Rey was a gazelle. Rey felt sick at the analogy. She realized that Hilda was leading her, driving her back to some place, and when she broke out into the theater she overall thrum of the voices became overwhelming. Rey turned around, watching her stride forward with all the confidence of a predator.

"Please," Rey said, though she wasn't sure what she was begging for. Her life? For how much longer? How much more time did she really have? Even if she got away, for tonight, wouldn't they find her again? It filled her with a sort of unspeakable despair.

"Sleep tight, blood rite," She screeched out, before reaching out for Rey with arms that seemed too long, and fingers that seemed too pointy.

Ren came a second too late. Some force twisted the metal of the door inward, causing the lock to become so distorted that the door popped open like a button on a shirt. Hilda's claws had become needles, and they had already sunk their way into Rey's flesh, puncturing her lungs and causing her blood to flow into places it shouldn't be in an effort to go everywhere at once just to heal her rent flesh. It wouldn't save her. She coughed up the blood, feeling it stain her lips and dribble down her chin. Ren was recognizable, and then not. The anger made his face sharp and strange. His eyes became two glowing orbs of molten gold, cracking his face with light that looked like tears.

Rey was sure she was hallucinating in death, but as Hilda dropped her, she lost track of him. Despite all of his light, he carried with him a hazy black shadow. He was completely other, something ripped from another world. He was hazy, and it was as if he blinked in and out of existence, moving from one space to another with a stunning speed. Rey lay there, watching him move and dispatch of Hilda (again). She saw his hand come out, and Hilda rise up in tandem. He bones crunched into mulch, and she was no more, just a spray of blood on the back of old theater seats.

Rey wasn't sure if the spray had reached her, but she felt cold, and she was grasping onto things that didn't matter anymore. She was moving from her body, which was dying, and there was nothing to tether her there anymore. She watched Ren from her place in the sky, after having obliterated the receptionist. Rey was sure that she wouldn't come back again. She might have laughed at the concept if she'd still been aware enough to do so.

Ren cradled her body as she slipped further away, but she couldn't have been so far gone. She felt him, the dark shadow of him, and she heard him pierce the flesh in his wrist, a small nose of his fanged canines sinking into the skin before he drew up bubbles of blood, thick and nearly black. He pressed it to her lips, the viscous fluid falling down into the back of her throat. It took hold like a virus, pulsing through her body. She could almost picture it piggybacking onto her own, lowly blood cells, powering them up. She sucked in a huge breath of air and suddenly, she was slammed forcibly back into the body she had almost left behind. Ren looked at her, his eyes a strange combination of melting amber gold and red. There was that strange pinprick of red that she'd seen so many times before.

It was almost easy to convince herself that she was dreaming.

She saw him, all angles and captured memories, his fingertips covered in her blood. He watched him lick it from his fingertips, like nectar that had fallen from an overripe piece of fruit. He might have gotten on hands and knees and licked it up like an animal, but she saw him restrain himself from taking too much. He was brighter, and sharper, and his eyes carried that same gold glow, which slipped around his now-black pupil like a slithering serpent. He looked at her with a stark hunger that was laid bare in that moment, but there was something else, too.

Rey blacked out.

She dreamed. She dreamed of a dark prince with sharp amber eyes and a fanged grin. She dreamed of his blood, pulsing fervently through her veins, like a shared secret. She dreamed of his whispering her name, though it had lost some of it's sinister edge. Now it truly felt like a lover brushing her name against the curve of her ear. Each time she felt it, the brush of his lips and the purr of his breath, it sent a shiver down her spine.

She found that she wanted to let go of her, but every time she turned away from him, she found herself facing him. There was nowhere she could go where he couldn't also follow. He had a smirk and red stained lips and she fought the draw she felt to him with every fiber of her being. He threatened to consume her whole.

She worried she might let him.

* * *

Rey woke up expecting to be in pain. She woke up in someone else's bed, with someone else's sheets pulled up around her. She had felt adrift after Rose had left, but she felt even less with a home now. She realized that this was Kylo Ren's bed. She saw the pictures on the walls, and the walk in closet gave her a peek of all of the designer suits he had. She imagined him walking in there each night and putting on a suit, like the habit might make him feel more human. Rey knew then that he was not human.

She had expected it to be a dream, and she might have believed it, but when she pulled back the sheets she realized that even with his blood, there was the puncture wound scars from Hilda sinking her claws into her lungs. They were pink, and healthy, and Rey was sure they would disappear without a trace. She looked up, finding herself looking at Ren, who stared at her with concern, his face a mask of unreadable characters. She scooted back against his bed, her head hitting the headboard. He leaned forward, but she flinched, making it obvious that she would not approve his coming closer. He didn't.

"I should be dead," She breathed out, grasping the blanket around her like she might have when she had been a child.

"And yet, you're not," He said, though there was none of the firmness there.

His voice caused her to shiver in a way that overcame her. She didn't want to hear him again. She wanted to hear him again terribly. Her two sides seemed to be warring, and it was almost as if her blood called for his.

"What are you?" She asked, scrambling from the bed. She had been dressed in one of his shirts, which hung at her thighs.

"No guesses?" He asked, unsure of what to say. She could see that he did not want her to know, but it was too late to take back what had happened.

"Stop playing with me, Ren," She said. "I'm not a doll,"

He looked disappointed. Maybe he had been expecting her anger. Maybe he had been hoping she would understand.

"Vampire," He said simply. The one word encompassed all, and Rey thought of her high school obsession with them that started with a late night viewing of Dracula with Rose. She thought of all the literature she'd consumed, thinking how nice it would be to have such a dark Prince. There he sat, and she couldn't stand the thought of him.

Terror pulsed through her, and she wondered how she lived. She wondered if she was what he was now. She reached up, feeling the beat of her heart and the pulse in her neck, and was somewhat satisfied that it didn't work that way. She took a few steps back, keeping her eyes on him. She knew that if he decided to come after her, she would stand no chance. It came back in bits and pieces, but avenging angel didn't quite encompass what she had seen him do.

There were no earthly explanations for it.

She stepped back, heading towards the door. She felt fear, she felt want. The want was desperate, and she felt it clenching her chest as if someone had sunk their hand into her chest to wrap their fingers around her heart. He seemed to glow, as if all the arrows in the universe were pointing towards him. She wanted him so badly she had to escape. She had to get out of there. It was the only thing on her mind. Resigning or not, she had to leave him behind.

She was ignoring the fact that she knew in her bones that they were now inextricably linked. His blood, her blood, their blood.

"Rey," He murmured, his voice plucking at the strings in her heart in such a way that she found it hard to avoid. It was if she had no control over it. What had he done to her?

"What have you done to me?" She asked, feeling everything at once and wanting nothing at all.

"I had to save you," He said, his voice dropping quietly. He felt regret. She knew it, without doubt.

"Am I...what you are?"

"No," He responded, evenly. And she believed him.

She turned the knob on the door and found that it gave way. He stepped forward, cautiously. She wasn't sure if it was him that she was fearful of, or what she might do if he got to close to her. He took another step, and she held up her hand, trying to stop him in his tracks.

"I have to go," She breathed out, feeling as if she was being deprived of air.

"You're not being kept as a prisoner," He said.

"You're a monster," She said, all of the images of what he had done coming back into her head. She wanted to cry. She wanted to reach out for him. She realized she did not know what she wanted.

"Yes," He said, his voice dropping into a tone that could only be described as miserable. "I have been for quite a number of years," His voice broke.

"Did you plan this?" She asked, the anger and fear creeping into her voice. It was panic. Panic because he was drawing ever closer, and panic because she found she wanted him to.

"No," He said, his features falling. More of that disappointment. She could feel it radiating off of him as if it were her own emotion. He took another step forward.

"Stop," She said, taking a step back, feeling her back connect with the door. She released a small huff of air, unaware of it having been so close.

He did as he was asked, holding his hands up in a motion of surrender.

She couldn't stand it any longer, she had to get a fix, and she realized that fix was him. She came forward quickly, grasping his collar bone and then his neck, sliding her fingers up into his hair as she pulled him down. He kissed her, though she felt him holding back. He kissed her lips with a maddening lightness, and she felt him slipping away as if she were a child trying to catch an escaped balloon.

"I can't," He whispered against her lips, releasing her from his grasp.

She felt the sting of it quite openly. She was glad, and hurt at the same time. Always at war with herself, always at war with him, now that he beat so close to her heart. He was her blood, after all.

"I have to go," She gasped out, and this time she meant it.

* * *

oooh here's some angst. and some horror. keep ya pants off this time (winkwonkwink)


	8. Saccharine Suffering

Rey wasn't exactly sure how she had gotten home. She didn't have her phone, and her purse had gotten lost in the shuffle. Maybe it was Ren that had made sure she got home without any further bruising, but he didn't follow her. The sun was out, and Rey was beginning to realize why he did all of his business at night. When she stood in front of her apartment, she tried to remember the code for the door. It came to her out of muscle memory, and she sighed when she was allowed into the small, empty studio. She was still wearing Ren's shirt, and she quickly lifted it up and over her head and tossed it into the trash.

She hoped it would be as easy as taking a shower and throwing away a piece of his clothing, but she realized she might be fooling herself.

The apartment felt as if someone had been there, but there was no evidence to suggest that. It just had an air of being moved or shifted in some way. She tugged off what was left of her underwear, realizing that there would be no saving it. She threw it away before streaking into the bathroom, turning the water on in the shower as hot as it would possibly go.

She sat down, feeling the full brunt of the events pressing against her. She tried to recount them all with some sort of logic, but every time she went over them in her mind they became more and more strange. Ren kept pushing against her consciousness, despite her obvious attempts to avoid thinking about him at all...he was always there. She kept thinking about what he'd said. I can't.

She pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. She pressed her face into the crook of her elbow, feeling the hot water pelt her from above. She tried to refocus her thoughts on anything else. What was she going to do about a job? What was she going to do about school? Hilda had been killed, but she felt sure there were others, others that would come for her eventually.

She felt the need to get out of the city. It became so overwhelming that she became sure that it might have been the only solution to this problem. She felt like she had to pull Ren out of her body like sucking poison from a snake bite. The more she thought about him, the more she ached for him, a deep sort of want that Rey had yet to experience for anyone else, ever before. Finally, she got up and finished her shower, deciding that she couldn't stay still. She had to take some sort of action.

She wondered if he was feeling the same sort of ache.

She had to think that he was not.

She wrapped her towel around herself and released a sob, and once it was done, it was over. The tears and the whimpering came rushing out. All of the fear and the upset of the last few weeks overtook her, and she cried until her eyes were puffy and her nose was swollen painfully. Rey realized she hadn't cried this much in her life, ever. When she was done, she submerged her face into a sink full of cold water and tried to revive herself. It worked, somewhat, and she was able to get dressed in a clean pair of clothes.

Strangely, the first t-shirt she had reached for was a graphic tee of one of her favorite vampire movies. She shoved it down into the bottom of the drawer and found another, painted with a graphic of an old style bicycle. She realized her bike was gone, too, trapped within the SoloTech building. She couldn't go back there, she wouldn't go back there.

She pulled her old, cracked phone out and turned it on. She used the wifi calling to call the phone company, requesting that they switch it back. There would be no recovering the phone that she had lost in the theater. Once the service was switched back over, a steady stream of text messages started coming in. A lot of them were from Rose. There were a few from Poe, who seemed genuinely concerned that she hadn't replied to him. She wondered how long she had been asleep.

She called Rose first. Rose was obviously very glad to hear from her at first, but then it turned to anger when Rey couldn't provide a logical explanation for where she'd been. There was no way she could tell Rose what had happened, and she found herself stuck between the need to tell the truth and the want to avoid lying to her. She said nothing at all, simply allowing Rose to vent at her before she blustered herself out. Rey apologized, saying she would never do it again. Rey had wanted to ask Rose if she could come stay with her, but something gave her pause. If these things followed her, she would only be putting her friend in danger. Without Ren, who knew what would happen. It seemed he had saved her life, loathe as she was to admit it.

When the call was over with, it had gotten later in the day and she sent a quick text to Poe: Sorry I didn't reply, I've been super sick. I'm really sorry to make you concerned. Poe responded a few minutes later, saying that he was glad she was okay. He offered his assistance if there was anything he could do for her. She put her phone down and looked out the window. The world had once been bright to her, but now she was scared. She was scared of going out into it. Who knew what would happen?

Maybe Ren hadn't done her a favor at all. Maybe he had been selfish.

Where would she go?

She thought about her foster parents, but it presented the same problem that it did with Rose. She couldn't talk to Finn and Poe, they might think she was insane. The world had changed significantly after the knowledge of the creeping, dark monsters of fable did really exist. Finally, she resolved to go outside. She gathered up an old purse that she hadn't been using, shoving what she could gather and what was left of her belongings into it. She found her old ATM card shoved into a drawer in her desk. She was thankful for it, at least she would be able to pull out some money.

She put on a dark hoodie and a pair of black sneakers and went out into the night. She pulled the hoodie up, hoping to hide her features. She must have looked terrible, but she didn't care. She had to do something. She stopped at an ATM that stood inside of the grocery store down the street. She pulled out all of the money she could, thinking she might need it for the bus ride. Every time she turned around, she thought she caught a glimpse of Ren.

At first, she thought it was that he was following her, but then she realized she was seeing him everywhere, in everything. It wasn't him. It wasn't ever him, but her brain seemed to want it to be. She rubbed her temples, feeling a burgeoning headache coming on. It was probably a mixture of the crying and the situation. Each time she turned around she thought she saw him, his deep brown eyes and the strange constellation of his face.

She remembered what he'd said. _I can't._

She found her face growing hot as she realized she'd tossed herself at him and he'd denied her. It was confusing, the sudden change in them both. Here she was, wanting so fiercely, and he had turned her down after telling her that he wanted to see more of her. She wondered at it. She wondered if it had to do something with ingesting his blood. She thought about going back and demanding answers, but the thought of being so near to him seemed unbearable.

By the time she had made it to the bus station, she had made up her mind about where she wanted to go.

* * *

The bus station was creepy. Rey paid for a ticket and boarded her bus, which would take her upstate. She found a seat in the very back where she could keep an eye one everyone that came and went, setting a backpack full of things beside her. It had a few of her clothes, her phone, and the money she'd pulled out of the bank. She wasn't sure if she would ever come back to the city at that point, so she took what she felt was most necessary with her.

Luke had been a friend of her foster mothers. He had always felt like a part of the family, and he had told her when she left that she could come stay with him any time. She had never seen a need to, up until that point. It seemed to be a temporary solution. Luke had a big compound in the middle of the woods. He rescued senior animals that had been neglected or left by people who could not or did not want to take care of them. He was independently wealthy, meaning that he had enough money to do whatever he wanted; which was a senior dog care facility. He had employees and the dogs had their own house. There was a lot of land for them to run, and occasionally he would foster odd animals here and there.

Rey thought he would let her stay for a few weeks, and maybe even allow her to work. She would need to do something if she was going to try and keep her mind off of Ren. She was glad when the bus driver boarded and they were on their way. She called Luke, finding that he still didn't answer his phone, but she left a message to let him know that she was coming. She was sure he wouldn't mind, but she wanted to call anyway. She made herself comfortable in her bus seat. She hoped that the more distance that she put between her and the vampire, the more she could be herself again.

She fell asleep against the window, her bag clutched tightly against her chest.

 _The vampire was somewhere nearby, though each time she thought she caught a glimpse of him he seemed to dissipate into smoke and gold. She followed after him in a place that seemed only gray. There were no buildings, no wildlife. It was just Rey in her pursuit of a man she was currently running from. She smelled the light, clean scent of his cologne. She caught sight of his dark hair and beneath, his strange eyes. On his face there was a smirk indicating a level of smugness. She wanted to hit him. She wanted to kiss him._

 _Suddenly, he was there all at once. Solid, and she reached out for him. She felt the fabric of his clothing beneath her fingertips so lucidly it was difficult to tell if it was a dream or not. His hands were everywhere, making her oversensitive to the shock of his touch. He kissed her, this time, like he meant it - not like he was slowly drifting away into smoke._

 _The moment turned as quickly as it had when he'd appeared. She saw the glint of his fangs, ivory white and sharper than any humans teeth had a right to be. He opened his mouth, sinking his fangs into the curve of her shoulder. She felt the warmth of her blood bubble up, staining his lips red and filling the air with a faint scent of rust. It was horrifying how she didn't feel horrified. She had expected pain, but there was none, just the pleasure pulsing steadily downward, right down to her toes._

 _When he pulled back, she felt woozy and he grasped her. She saw that same, smug smile on his face, and when he spoke, his words were muggy. Finally, she understood what he'd said:_

 _ **You are mine.**_

She woke up with his name on her lips, and she gasped it out with what could only be described as confusion and something far more embarrassing. When she opened her eyes, she realized that the entire occupancy of the bus had turned around and was looking at her. Some looked outright surprised, some looked concerned, and some looked intrigued. Rey's face got so hot she had to fight the urge to lift her hands up and cover it.

She pulled her hood tightly over her face and sunk down into her seat. Eventually people began turning back around, going back to whatever it was they had been doing previously. She heard a small ding on her phone and she pulled it out of her back, swiping it open with a small clicking noise.

She saw it was from Asshole, and she realized it was Ren.

 _ **Rey, I'm concerned for you.**_

And then another.

 _ **Can I see you?**_

It was unlike him to ask, but she didn't respond, angrily shoving the phone back into her bag. She wasn't sure she would ever be able to forgive him for doing this to her, filling her full of all of this awful craving. It was being thirsty and never being able to get enough water.

She ignored any further texts from him, and though he didn't send many, he seemed to get the message after a few attempts. He didn't continue trying, which disappointed her a bit, but she couldn't have trusted her own emotions at that moment, so she did her best just to ignore them. They were a roller coaster, after all. The bus ride was long, and Rey was cautious about falling asleep again. She couldn't even trust that, not after what had happened.

When she got off of the bus at the bus station, it was nearly morning. She was surprised to find Luke waiting there for her.

The last time she had seen Luke, she had been a young girl and his face had been youthful. He had aged, and he'd sprouted a long beard and a gray mop of hair that was so common to all of his grizzly woodsy counterparts. He was wearing plaid, and a pair of boots that were caked in mud, as if he'd walked all the way there. He had a beat up old cruiser that he'd probably found in a salvage yard, and quietly he took her bags from her and helped her into the car.

They were silent on the ride, she found it refreshing that Luke didn't really require a reason why she was there, and he seemed to realize that something was bothering her. He was never one to pry unless it was warranted, however. She was tired, and she thought maybe tomorrow she would try to explain it to him.

The night was cold, and she could feel winter creeping through the trees. The ground was all decay and slush, and the leaves had all completed their change of color and fallen from the skeletal branches of the trees. Rey looked out of the window, up into the sky, tracing the high flying trees with her gaze. Luke turned the heater on, which smelled like it hadn't been used in awhile, and turned the radio station to the local talk station. Rey perked up when she heard the man talking about the city.

 _Lots of strange goings on it the city these days, from a murder/suicide at the tech giant SoloTech to an old theater burning to the ground just a few days later..._

Luke glanced at Rey before flipping the station to some old country music. She leaned back into her seat, and they were quiet for the rest of the ride. Luke had probably been shelter for a lot of foster kids. He had the means and the wherewithal to do so. Rey was thankful for him, considering she still didn't feel comfortable asking her foster parents for any sort of help. He was always willing to help where he could, and it was nice to have some place to go when things got difficult.

The ride out to the ranch was a long one, and it sat way far back in the woods. They crept down a thoroughly dark lane covered with swooping trees and Rey could hear the howl of the wind as it pushed against the car. Finally, when they came upon the large house, it had begun to flurry. The house had a warm, yellow glow, and Rey imagined there were probably fires. Fires and puppies. It sounded good to her.

"Snow's coming," Luke said in his gruff, crabby tones. "Better get inside,"

Rey helped him grab her bags and followed him in. He kicked his boots on the stoop and took them off once he was inside. He was wearing those thick, wool socks, and Rey realized she might not have brought warm enough clothing to be out here. Her boots probably wouldn't stand up against icy mud, especially if she was going to help him work, but she would make the best of it. She was thankful for the distraction, and she realized it had been at least an hour since she'd thought of Ren. He came creeping back into his subconscious, however, and she followed Luke quickly into the kitchen.

"Hot chocolate or tea," He murmured, setting an old beat up kettle on the stove.

"Tea," She said.

She heard the click-click of little dog nails on the hard wood floor and looked to see Lion, his favored pet, standing in the doorway with his tail wagging. He was a huge old husky who had more fur than any dog had a right to, and he was named Lion for his mane of gray fur. She reached down and scratched his head and flank, and he pushed his nose against her before bounding off towards Luke and taking a seat near him where he sat at the kitchen table.

Rey heard the kettle go off, and moved to get it before he could get up again. She poured the hot water into the mugs he'd set up with the tea bags before she set one down in front of him and took a seat beside him. He looked at her, and she looked back at him.

"Gonna tell me what you're doin' here?" He asked, stirring the tea and watching the steam rise off of the water.

"I've just been having a tough time," Rey said, as honestly as she could. "I didn't know where else to go. I needed to get away,"

Luke nodded, his face free of judgement.

"Well, you're always welcome here," He said simply. "It's past my bedtime, though. You want me to show you your room?"

Luke stood up and Rey followed, taking her tea with her. She watched Lion sort of ramble after Luke, thinking that the older they had gotten, the more they looked like one another. He opened a door to one of the guest rooms. It was nice enough, covered in flannel blankets and sheets and there was a walk in closet. She had her own bathroom, too.

"Breakfast is at six, if you miss it you'll be on your own," He said simply. "But it looks like you might need to catch up on some sleep," Luke nodded his head. "Come down whenever you're ready,"

"Thanks," Rey said. Instead of hugging, they shook hands. Luke left her, closing the door behind Lion once the arthritic dog had made his way over the threshold.

Rey didn't know if she felt completely safe, but she felt safer than she had in her apartment. Her apartment had already been violated, so what was to stop them from doing it again. She thought one kidnapping in a week was enough, and she couldn't bear the thought of going back to Ren's, despite the tick in her chest that told her that she really, really wanted to. He didn't want her there, he'd made that clear, and she couldn't trust herself.

She pulled her belongings out, putting them away in the empty dresser. She checked her phone, and there was one message: _You can run, but you can't hide._

It shocked her. It wasn't from Ren. She dropped her phone and she realized that there would be no easy way out of this, and as much as she moved around, and hid, it was likely that someone would always find her. She turned her phone off. She wanted to ignore it. She wanted to pretend like it didn't exist. Maybe she could just disappear out here in the woods. Maybe Luke would leave his dog sanctuary to her and she could live out the rest of her years taking care of ailing, elderly canines.

She couldn't comfort herself with the thought.

* * *

Rey had taken a couple Tylenol PMs that she hoped would keep her from dreaming. She wanted to sleep through the night without any interruptions from Hilda, or Ren, and she thought if she could manage it she might be able to view her situation more clearly when the morning came.

She didn't dream, and if she did, they were foggy and unseen, only punctuated by the smell of Ren's laundry soap, or his clean scent.

When she woke up in the morning, she felt less groggy, and less pained. When she looked at the scars that had been left behind by the awful night, she saw they were nearly gone. It was amazing. It wasn't the end of the ability lent to her by Ren's powerful blood. When she went out to help Luke that morning with the chores, she found she saw more clearly, she was faster and more agile, and in general more in tune with her own body. She could hear more, see more, take in more air. It came with one painful side effect, the wish that Ren was there. She wasn't even sure that that would be enough to sate it. She was glad for the hard work. Luke seemed to sense it, and kept piling work on her until the sun had gone down and he said they should be finishing up for the day. She hadn't explained any more, and he hadn't asked.

They fell into sort of a routine for the first week she was there. She slept better, marginally, and her phone went free of any sort of strange text messages. She didn't know if they were just making her believe she was comfortable, but she always felt the grip of anxiety each time she took up her phone. Ren didn't message her again. Deep down, it disappointed her, because she never completely got herself free from thinking of him. He would creep on her at odd moments, filling her mind with his voice and his thoughts. Of course, she didn't realize that this connection might go both ways until her second week there.

She had pulled on a pair of long underwear that she had bought in the small general store the day before, as well as a pair of very thick socks. Even underneath the flannel sheets, Luke's house got freezing. He didn't have a central heating unit, he had probably never seen a need for it, and sometimes in the morning when she woke up she could see her breath.

She fell asleep without much to do. It was darker than she had ever lived with out here in the wilds, and there were no blue glowing lights to keep her awake. The only electronic in her room was her phone, and she'd gotten into the habit of shoving it into the drawer and ignoring it as much as possible. She started to receive emails about school, a reminder that if she wanted to go back she was going to have to get back into the city, but she wasn't sure that it felt important to her anymore.

She didn't dream, thankfully. That night was different, however. It was as if she had been transported to another place by will alone, and when she opened her eyes she found herself in Ren's apartment. The fire place was on, and he sat staring idly at it, the light of it sinking completely into the dark of his eyes. He looked up, startled by her sudden appearance.

She stood there, solidly, as if she was really there. She was dressed in her long underwear and her wool socks, the huge plaid shirt thrown over the whole ensemble. It was warmer in here than it was in Luke's house, and she felt the warmth of the fire radiating into her skin.

He stood up, nearly upending the drink he had in his hand. He had certainly sloshed some of it onto his carpet. She jumped a bit, startled by the sudden movement. She took a step back, feeling her back hit the window. How had she come to be here? She pressed her fingertips against the glass, feeling the chill of the night radiating through to her flesh. It was so real, so lucid, it couldn't have been a dream.

"Rey," He said, his features a mask of surprise.

"Ren," She said, swallowing heavily. "What am I doing here?"

"I don't know," He said in reply. It was as if in all of his years as being a movie monster, he had never seen something quite like this.

She wanted to retrace old ground. What had he done to her? Why had he done it? Why couldn't she just let him go? She didn't get much of a chance as Amalia came out from the restroom, her face perfectly painted in the visage of a doll. Rey thought Ren might have been the only one to see her, but it became clear that Amalia could see her as well.

"What is she doing here?" Amalia sneered out.

Ren wouldn't get a chance to answer, as Rey came crashing back to earth. She felt the force of it as she fell back into the chilly bed at Luke's far off ranch. She nearly bounced and rolled onto the floor. She was awake, breathing heavily and grasping the sheets beneath her fingertips to make sure that she was really there and she wasn't just experiencing more of this messed up dream.

She could see the two of them arguing through a fish eye lens before the view closed itself off to her, leaving her alone in the freezing palace of the dog.

* * *

 **i know the pacing of this is a little different. hope u all don't dislike it. if u do, well...just think about adam driver. you'll feel better. there's a playlist for this story. do you want to hear it? let me know fam.**


	9. Bewitched

Rey didn't sleep very well that night. She was unsure about what had happened. Had it really happened? Or had it just been a dream? She realized that she wouldn't be able to run from him forever. They were now linked in some unfathomable way, even if he was an asshole who had asked her to see him and clearly had someone else in his life. She remembered Amalia's face with certain clarity, and Ren's face begging to allow explanation before she'd come crashing back to earth.

Rey was not going to cry over it again.

She had trouble getting back to sleep, and finally at around five AM she decided to get up and get dressed. She had been wearing jeans and warm shirts with sweaters pulled on over them. She didn't bother with make up, but she brushed her teeth. She went downstairs to find that the house was dark. She was surprised, considering that Luke was often up way before she was.

She turned the kitchen light on with the intention of making coffee, and she saw his silhouette in the dark morning standing out in the front of his yard. Lion sat with him, and they were looking out into the wilderness at something that Rey could not see. That was when she heard the howling, every single one of his canines was howling. She was surprised she hadn't heard it before, but it was as if she'd been somewhere else entirely. She pulled on her borrowed coat and went out, calling after him. She saw that he had draped a heavy woolen blanket over his shoulders and he was wearing his sleep wear. She wondered how long he had been standing out there, and why.

"Luke, what's wrong?"

He turned, glancing at her, bringing his finger to his mouth to shush her. He turned back to look out at the darkness. She wished the sun would rise, but it was just beginning to reach it's fingers across the inky black sky. Rey looked, and looked, trying to see what he was seeing. It was dark and it took her a few moments, but she could see in the dark the reflected light of eyes blinking back out at them; they looked like shiny coins flipping in the dark. She didn't know how many there were, and she could not catch the silhouette of what they were, but they appeared to have humanoid shapes. Rey gasped, lifting her hand to her mouth to try and silence herself. Luke continued to watch, as if he were a centurion, protecting the ground from the strange intruders.

She swallowed heavily, and was glad when the sun got higher into the sky. She watched as the creatures began to sink back, before the howling tapered off and when she looked, she found nothing in the forest beyond. Luke finally turned to look at her, his features unreadable. He went back inside, quietly, and Lion followed in his footsteps.

Rey followed him, feeling uncomfortable at turning her back on the forest, unsure if those things were really gone.

Luke sat down at the kitchen table before setting the coffee pot on for coffee. He motioned for her to take a seat beside him, drawing his blanket tightly around his shoulders.

"Rey, there's something I should tell you about how we found you when you were a girl," He said simply. "You know that I used to be a police officer, right?"

"Yes," She said, stammering a bit.

"Hold on," He stood up, deciding that he needed to retrieve something. He came back with an old folder in hand. "We found you in this house that we'd long suspected of being a cult house," He said simply. "You were so skinny, I couldn't believe you'd lived, but you had such a strangle hold on life,"

"What do you mean, cult house?"

"People were disappearing, mostly of their own volition, but those who stayed there called themselves 'blood rite',"

Rey felt her heart sinking into her stomach, and panic rising up like bile at the back of her throat.

"They were connected to a few murders around the state, but we couldn't ever prove it to any degree where it would hold up in court," He paused, sliding a clump of photos over to her. "Every one connected with the house was found dead. Except you,"

Rey took them in hand. There were photos of a room, presumably where she'd been kept. Rey couldn't remember any of it, no matter how she tried. Then she began drawing forward things she'd drawn. She was a child and they were not good, most of them scribbled in charcoal and messy. She pulled forth one that was a series of shadow people with open, white eyes. It looked just like what they'd experienced that morning.

And then, she came across those that looked like a version of Ren - and she almost cried out in alarm. Even in her unskilled hand, she could tell immediately who it was. She had even used red crayon to recreate the pinpricks in his eyes. He had fangs. She couldn't wrap her head around it. What did it mean? Then, she came across a picture of herself as a girl. A girl she hardly recognized - a girl with a haunted, hungry look in her eyes. It couldn't have been her, but Rey knew it couldn't have been anyone else. The next picture was a picture of a brown haired girl with yellow light scribbled all around her. She wondered if it was meant to be her.

She found even looking at them made her uneasy, and she slid them back in Luke's direction. He watched her carefully and put them away, sliding them aside. She imagined he had a whole closet of cases that bothered him, but she realized then why he was so connected with foster kids around the state. Maybe he felt bad for them, maybe he wanted to help, but she was a case that even though she'd lived, parts of it had stuck in his craw for years.

"Has something been happening?" Luke finally asked. His face was kind, and his eyes crinkled a bit as his face softened. He reached for her hand, taking it into his own, calloused one.

"A few weeks ago I applied for this job as an overnight receptionist for SoloTech," She said quietly. "The girl who was there before me disappeared, and then they found her murdered," She muttered. "Ever since then I've been getting strange texts and feeling like someone has been following me," She didn't think that telling him that she'd almost died would help. He certainly wouldn't understand how she'd lived through it. "The texts mention blood rite, a lot," She said, sadly.

"SoloTech, huh?" Luke asked, thoughtfully. "Who runs that place?"

"Kylo Ren," She said, feeling strange with his name tripping off of her tongue.

"Huh," Luke said. "I don't recognize the name, but I've heard about the murder," He said simply. "So that's why you came here?"

She nodded her head, slowly. He let go of her hand after a few moments, leaning back into his chair in thought.

"No other reason?" He pushed. If Luke had been a cop, he probably knew she was omitting some information.

"No," she said. "The apartment doesn't feel safe. Rose moved back home, so I had to find another place to live. Someone was in there one night, I'm sure of it,"

"Hmm," Luke breathed out, looking at her carefully. "So what are your plans?"

"I don't know," She said, earnestly. "I was trying not to think about it, and I was hoping it would go away,"

Luke laughed.

"I wish that was how it worked,"

"Me too," She said, taking a sip of coffee.

"What about school?"

"I don't know, I haven't thought about it,"

"Well, as much as I like having you around, I don't think you'll be happy here forever. It's a pretty singular existence,"

She nodded her head, frowning.

"Have you called the police?"

"No," She said. "A friend of mine said there wouldn't be much they could do,"

"That might be right, but you should at least file a report," Luke said. "That way there's a paper trail in the event that it escalates,"

It had already escalated, but she didn't feel like burdening him with it.

* * *

School came on her quickly, and she remembered that winter break had seemed so much longer when she was a kid. She decided she couldn't let this take over her life, and take her life from her. She didn't want to run away forever. The time at Luke's had helped her clear her head a bit, and the ache for Ren seemed to dull just a bit. She dreamed of him often, but she never ended up in his apartment again, and even though he'd sent her a few text messages and tried to call her a few times, she never responded. Didn't he understand that she was trying to ghost him?

She knew she would have to face him again, though.

Luke had made copies of the photos for her, and she put them away into her backpack along with all of her other belongings. She had to catch the bus. Each night, the shadow people came and stood outside of the edge of the house. Luke sometimes went out and watched them, but they never seemed interested in crossing the property line. Maybe it was the dogs that kept them at bay, but eventually the activity slowed. She worried about him, but she knew he could take care of himself. She only hoped she hadn't brought something to his door that he wouldn't be able to handle.

Luke drove her to the bus stop and saw her off, reiterating that she was welcome at any time and thanking her for her help. He gave her his card, and the card of a detective who was still on the force. He told her to call him, and talk to him about what had happening. Apparently, he was aware of what had happened at the compound, and how she'd been found. Luke thought he might be able to help her. He made her promise that she would call him.

The bus ride was uneventful, much less eventful than it had been the first time around. The closer they got to the city, the more Rey felt dread, rising up in her with the realization that her life was still here, and it was still terrifying. She had, perhaps, been lulled into a false sense of security when she hadn't received any more weird texts, but she wasn't about to assume that it was the last of them.

When she reached the bus station, she lingered, moving slowly back in the direction of her new apartment. She walked with her hood up and her hands delved into the front pocket, avoiding looking too long at people. She didn't have the sensation that she was being followed, but she was much more aware of her surroundings after what had happened with Roman. She didn't know where the man was, after all. When she looked at her phone, she saw a message from Luke: Get home okay?

She responded in the positive, finding her feet carried her too quickly towards the apartment.

She punched in the code and was admitted, surprised to find that Ren hadn't ripped the security system out of the place. He had a girlfriend, and a life, and she could almost believe that what had happened to her was merely a bad figment of her imagination. Kylo Ren wasn't really a vampire. He was just a man. No matter how many times she repeated it to herself, she couldn't believe it.

Her apartment smelled of spoiled milk, and she realized she'd left a cereal bowl full of milk out. She dumped it into the drain and tried to rescue the bowl, letting the garbage disposal run for a long time. She took the trash out and did other little errands, trying to avoid sitting down at her computer and going through her emails. Finally, after she had done just about everything she could do, she sat down and began dealing with her school checklist. She had to deal with the loan, and the books, and making sure she was registered.

When she was all finished, she started looking through her emails. There was nothing that stood out, which she was glad for. Finally, she turned her phone on and began rolling through her contacts. Her finger hovered over Ren's contact for what seemed like a very long time. She was debating on whether or not she should call him, but she knew she had questions she had to ask him. She had to know if he had known about what Luke had showed her prior to hiring her. She had to know if he'd willingly drawn her into all this, or if it was by some other machination that she'd found herself on his door step.

Finally, she pressed it and pulled it against her ear, hearing it ring. He answered after a few rings, surprise in his tone.

"Rey?" He asked. "Is everything alright?"

"I called to ask if I could meet with you," She decided to take on a business like tone. She would deal with him like he was an associate, and nothing more.

"Of course," He said in reply. "When?"

"I start school next week, but if you have any open time in your calendar before then I can work around it,"

"That's not necessary," He said simply. "What about tonight?"

"You're not working?" She asked, her tone dropping curiously.

"I am always working," He said. She felt like she could fall asleep just listening to him talk to her. She snapped out of it. "I can make time, however,"

Rey hated it when he decided to be kind. It made it harder for her to stick to her guns.

"Tonight is fine. Should I come to the building?"

"No, I'll come and pick you up,"

"That's not really necessary," She said, always fighting the draw.

"I would like to take you to dinner, if I have your permission,"

"Oh, well," She felt her face growing hot. Why? Why? "That's okay," She replied.

"I feel as if I owe you at least that,"

"What about Amalia?" She questioned. "Will she be there?"

"No," He said. "Will you allow me a chance to explain?"

She was silent for a few long moments, and he seemed to be listening to her breathe.

"What time?" She said, finally, after a few long moments.

"Just after the sunset?" He questioned. She could almost see him looking at his watch.

"Fine, I'll see you then,"

"Rey," He said. "I'm glad to hear from you,"

She hung up the phone before she had a chance to say something stupid.

* * *

Rey stood in front of her closet for a long time trying to decide what to wear. She couldn't think of anything really fancy to wear, but she didn't exactly know where Ren was going to take her. She thought it might be a fancy place, but she felt stupid in assuming that it would be. It wasn't a date, after all. She had questions for him, and she wanted to show him the photos that Luke had given her.

Finally, she decided on a simple, midnight blue dress. It was fancy enough, it was made from fake crushed velvet and it had a flirty, swing skirt. She wore tights and a pair of flat booties. She pulled a black sweater on over the whole ensemble, and tied a scarf around her neck. Her hair was curled and she braided half of it back away from her face. She kept her makeup simple, trying to convince herself that she'd put in any effort at all because she wasn't sure where he was going to take her.

She paused in front of her perfume before deciding that would be taking it a step too far.

When the sunlight was gone, she felt her phone vibrate. It was Ren, telling her that he was outside, waiting. The nights were cold, but nothing compared to how cold Luke's ranch had been. She drew her fuzzy sweater tightly around herself and grabbed what was left of her belongings in the old purse she'd dug up from her closet. She stepped onto her small stoop to find him standing there at the side of a zippy little sports car that was obviously a classic car. She blinked a bit, wondering where his black sedan had gone. Honestly, she was glad he hadn't brought it. It might have been hard for her to be in the back seat of that car again.

He was dressed nicely in a loose fitting white t-shirt and a pair of dark jeans, but he wasn't dressed in a tuxedo or anything like that, so Rey had to assume that they weren't going to an expensive place. She carefully shouldered her purse, trying not to stare too long at him. He came around and opened the door for her, and she slid into the finely upholstered leather seats. She drew her skirt around her knees and watched him get into the car. He had sunglasses on his dark hair, which was as perfectly styled as ever. She wondered if he had someone do it for him.

"I'm glad you called," He said, his voice conversational. Rey wanted to keep her defenses up, but it was difficult being this close to him again.

It wasn't as bad as it had been after that first night, but his voice gave her small shivers and she felt the small hairs on her arms drawing up, as if they themselves were reaching out for him. She had a brief moment where she thought about straddling his lap in his small sports car - but she visibly shook it off.

She smiled awkwardly but she didn't respond, unsure of how to respond without continuing on a conversation she wasn't sure she wanted to have.

"You look nice," He finally said, turning out of the parking lot in her apartment and out into the traffic.

"Thank you," She responded, trying to keep that business like tone.

"Ah, she speaks," He said, his lips lifting into a smile. She found she liked the way his eyes crinkled up when he smiled. "It's unusual to have you so quiet," He admitted.

"I don't..." She wasn't sure how to continue, so she didn't.

They drove along in silence. It was cold, so Ren put the top up and turned on some classical music that drifted lightly around them. It gave her the feeling of calm, and she felt that serene quality drifting in. She felt safe, even though she knew he was the very last person in the world she should feel safe with. She found herself examining his profile, the slope of his nose and the shape of his lips. She remembered them stained with her blood, and she remembered the fangs that hid just there, within his mouth. He caught her staring at him, and she quickly looked away as he looked at her. They were distracted by his phone ringing. He checked it, but surprisingly, he didn't answer it.

It happened a few times, and he surprised her each time by not answering it.

Finally, he put it on silent and turned it over, ignoring the blinking light that was probably mocking him.

"You can answer it," She said, glancing at him curiously. The Ren she knew wouldn't have let it go.

"It's alright," He said simply. "Tonight, I'm yours," He looked at her, his eyes shining liquid amber in the low light.

The sound of his voice and the choice of his words caused her to give another shiver, but she was glad it wasn't visible. It certainly felt visible, and she clenched her knees together and bit into her lip to try and bring herself back down to planet earth. She was glad when they pulled up to the restaurant, realizing he'd taken them all the way down to the coast. Rey stretched and caught a glimpse of the beach, hearing the waves crash against the shore seemed to give her an immediate calm.

The restaurant was a sort of lobster shack place, but it had the aesthetic of one of those catalogs that sold linen and beach glass. It was a nice place, lit up with yellow glowing tea lights and twinkle lights that were strung every which way. It was nice, but it wasn't exactly what Rey had been expecting. The place bustled with activity, and even though there was a wait, the host recognized Ren and they were lead back into a room that had french doors which opened out over the beach. She could tell he had rented it specifically for this purpose, and she began to panic.

It was all too romantic for a cold, professional business meeting. She knew it was too late to back out now, though, and the pictures she carried in her purse kept her on the forward path, even when Ren casually slid his arm at her lower back to redirect her from bumping into one of the servers. They were lead into the room and the doors were shut behind them, closing out the din of the restaurant. There were candles and wine glasses, and two menus were put down in front of them.

"Do you like seafood?" He asked curiously, crossing his leg easily over the other and leaning back into the chair as if he belonged there. He certainly looked like he did.

"It's been a long time since I've had it," She admitted. "But yes, I do,"

"Good," He said simply, looking at her a moment too long before his eyes dropped back down to the menu.

"Can you...uh...eat?"

"Not really," He said, calmly. "But no one will notice,"

"Why bring me to dinner if you can't eat?"

"I was just..." He paused, and she wondered what he was thinking about. "I wanted to do something nice,"

"Oh," She whispered quietly, looking back down to her menu.

Rey waited on bringing the photos out, as the server was bustling in just as she had decided what she would order. Ren ordered wine, a brand she'd never heard of in a vintage she was sure she couldn't afford. It certainly didn't compare with her trips to the wine depot looking for boxed wine that would keep through an entire party. She ordered the lobster and handed the menu back to the server. Ren looked at her.

"Nothing else?"

"No, that's fine," She said in reply.

Ren ordered a few other things, surprisingly. She wondered what they would do with all of that food, but she had a feeling he was ordering it for her benefit. She didn't want to spend the night puking from all of the rich food, but she had to admit she was curious to try a lot of the items he'd ordered. The server gathered the menus and disappeared, reappearing a few moments later with a bottle of wine that he opened at the table. He poured a bit for Ren, who tasted it. He seemed to agree that it was good, and he poured them both a glass, neither a hair off from being uneven from one another. She wondered how long it had taken him to perfect that talent.

She felt the wind going out of her sails. The more this went on, the less she wanted to bring those pictures out. She wanted to enjoy the salt air, and the sound of his voice, that felt like a soothing balm after weeks of not having heard it. She decided to get settled into the chair, and she removed her sweater and hung it over the back of the chair, along with her purse. He watched her carefully, his eyes tracing the cut of her collar bones. She noticed it, but as soon as she looked back at him, he was looking away.

Rey tried the wine, finding it was much more robust than anything she had ever had. She set the glass down carefully before she looked across the table at her dinner companion. Neither of them seemed sure where to start, but finally he did speak.

"Why did you call?" He asked, curiously.

"I wanted to ask you some questions about...what happened," She was trying to choose her words carefully.

"I expected you might," He admitted. "Like what?"

"How am I alive?" She asked, lifting up the glass and swallowing back a bit more wine.

"It's an effect of my blood," He said simply. "It works fast to heal human flesh,"

She knew there were more important questions she had to ask him, but she wanted to know why, after she had thrown herself at him, he had told her no. She wanted to know why he had shown up at her door with an awkward confession and then turned her down. She wanted to know how Amalia played into all of this. She felt unsure of how she would ask all of those questions...and she was becoming less and less sure she wanted to confront him with the pictures she had drawn of him as a child.

"Why didn't it turn me?"

"The process is a lot more complicated than that," He said simply. "But I'm sure you've noticed some side effects,"

"Yes," She breathed out, abruptly. "I can't stop thinking about you," She blurted it out without thinking.

"Yes," He said. He knew about this. He took another sip of his wine, though he stopped after only a few sips. "That is an unfortunate side effect of my blood," He said, looking at her. "Usually it fades after a few days, but it hasn't, has it?"

Rey shook her head.

"It hasn't for me, either,"

She was a bit shocked by the reply, until she remembered him licking her blood from his fingertips. Surely, since she was not a vampire, it couldn't have had the same effect on him. Was he implying that it had?

"What about that night I ended up in your apartment?"

"I've never seen anything like that," He said. "I was thinking of you, and there you were,"

She was surprised to hear that he had been thinking of her, considering who he'd been with that night, and considering how he'd turned her down when she had kissed him after almost dying. She was mulling it over, and Ren was looking at her. Finally, she reached up and took another unsteady swallow of the red wine. This was uncomfortable for both of them, she was sure.

When the server came in jovially with the food, he got a little quiet when he sensed the air around the pair. Rey probably thought it was awkward and thwarted, on both ends. The food was laid out, and Rey realized she was hungry. She looked at all of it as the server poured her out more wine. Ren stayed his hand over his own glass when the server tried to pour out more for him. He gave a light nod before exiting the room, and Rey heard the doors click shut behind him.

She tried the lobster, and the shrimp, and the pasta that Ren had ordered. He never took a bite, and it would be nearly impossible for her to finish it all, though she did eat most of her lobster and a few bites of everything else. She worried it would go to waste, but Ren didn't seem to be the type of man to care about waste.

"What else?" He finally asked, looking at her in the low light of the private room.

"Mm?" She questioned, carefully putting a piece of food into her mouth and lifting her hand to cover her mouth as she chewed.

"What other questions did you have?"

"I...uh," She took a drink of water. "Why would you tell me that you wanted to see me when you already have a girlfriend?" She decided to just come out with it.

"Girlfriend?" He asked, obviously unsure about what she was talking about. "Oh, you mean Amalia?" He laughed, finally pouring out a bit more wine for himself.

"She isn't my girlfriend,"

"Your wife?"

He shook his head, sighing.

"She's the sister of a very old friend," He admitted. She wondered if he was lying, though Rey could say that she'd never seen them actually express any sort of physical connection to one another. She'd never seen them kiss, or hold hands.

"So?" Rey asked.

"So, she's always had a fixation on me," He admitted. "But it isn't anything worth having from her. She views me as sort of an important possession she would like to have,"

"Oh," Rey said, feeling the wind go out of her sails ever further. "So that night when I...when I kissed you," She started, looking at him.

"I knew it wasn't you, it was an effect of my blood on you," He admitted, easily. "I had this insane idea that I wanted you to like me for me...and it seemed wrong to take advantage of the situation, even if I wanted to,"

Oh.

 _Oh._

* * *

 **this chapter was a little sexy, right? RIGHT?! tell me it's sexy or i will cry for a million days. also, quick update, but i go back to le job so don't expect another so soon...sowwweeee**


	10. First Kisses

They sat in silence for a few long moments, regarding each other curiously.

"So then what I've been feeling, it isn't real?"

"I don't know," Ren said in reply. "It hasn't completely taken your personality from you, as I've seen it do before,"

"You have experience with this, then,"

"Unwittingly,"

Rey wasn't sure whether or not to be angry with him or thankful that he'd saved her life. Of course she was thankful she still lived, but how would her life be if she was pining away after this man she didn't feel she could 'have'? Finally, she reached into her bag and pulled out the photos. She slid them over to Ren, who looked surprised and then curious. He picked them up and began sliding through them, his features vaguely confused and then concerned as he came across the drawing of him.

"Is this meant to be me?"

She nodded, slowly.

"I went to visit a friend and one night we went out just before dawn to find a bunch of humanoid figures surrounding his property," She said, pointing out the photo she'd drawn. "Just like this," She paused. "These were all done by me when I was a girl,"

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"I don't know, I was hoping you could shed some light on it. He said that they found me in that place,"

"I recognize this place," He said simply, his gaze growing markedly darker.

"You do?"

"Yes, it's as if I've been there before but I can't recall ever having been there,"

"You don't remember me, then?" She pointed to the picture of herself. He shook his head 'no' in response.

"Did he say where this is?"

"It burned down, a long time ago. I already looked," She had had a long bus ride, after all.

"You mean you were kept in this room? What about your parents?"

"I never knew them," She admitted. "I was taken in by Mr and Mrs Beckett when I was nine or ten. No one could ever find my parents. Luke said that they called themselves 'blood rite', and that they were in a cult...like in the text messages I got,"

"Blood rite," He repeated, putting the picture down.

"What does that mean?" She questioned, hoping he'd know.

Ren cleared his throat as if he were about to explain, but the server came in. It seemed to happen a lot. Ren tried to school his features so that they were friendly, and he put his hand on top of the photos that were set there on the table. He was trying to make sure no one saw. The server asked if there was anything else they would need, and Ren looked at Rey when he mentioned dessert. Rey was full, and though she was sure she might regret not getting dessert, she didn't think it was a good idea to put any more food in her stomach.

The server gathered the plates and came back with the check, and Ren put one of his many credit cards on the small plastic platter that was left behind. When the dinner was paid for, they quietly gathered up the photos and exited the restaurant, heading back to his vehicle. He opened the door for her, shocking her even further. He had never done so before, not in the weeks she'd been working for him, anyway. When he slid in beside her, he glanced at her.

"I have some things I suppose I should tell you," His voice was quiet as he turned the ignition. "But they probably shouldn't be spoken about in a public place. Will you agree to come back to my apartment?"

She nodded her head quietly in return.

"Good," He said. And they were off.

They were quiet and thoughtful in the car, and Ren turned the music back on. She watched the city lights roll by and occasionally, she would look at him, and he would look back at her. They said very little, and it lasted all through the elevator ride to his top floor apartment. Rey half expected to see Amalia come out to meet him, but the place was empty. She was thankful for it. Ren seemed to do a sweep, just to make sure. Finally, when they were both standing in the living room, Ren used the remove to ignite the fire place, pulling back the curtains to reveal a landscape that was heavily dotted with lights and buildings.

His place was beautiful, she had to admit. It still didn't quite feel like anyone lived there, with how clean and precise it was. Still, she looked out over the lights and understood, partially, why he had chosen it.

"Anything to drink?" He asked quietly. She shook her head before she came to stand near the couch.

They sat apart from one another, with him choosing the edge of the couch and her choosing the chair. It was more comfortable than the couch, she found.

"Blood rite?" She asked again, as if to remind him of what they'd been speaking about.

"It's hard to explain without first explaining some of what I am," He admitted.

"I know what you are,"

"Yes. Have you assumed, then, that there are others?"

Rey realized she hadn't thought about it much, but it did come with the natural assumption that he wasn't the only one.

"My blood line was considered 'royal'. It's a big part of the reason why I was turned in the first place," He paused. "You see, there's a whole community of us out there, and someone has to make sure that we're not caught out by humans at large. I make sure that we aren't," He admitted.

"That explains all of your strange guests. So, what, you're like a sheriff?"

"Seneschal is the term that is used among vampires,"

"So what about this blood rite?"

"It shouldn't surprise you that a vast majority of us are superstitious, considering what we are. It also shouldn't surprise you that many of us took with us our mindsets from the dark ages," He paused, glancing at her where he'd previously been looking at his hands. "Blood rite was this belief that there was a blood line out there that when utilized in a ceremonial way..." Rey didn't seem to know the particulars of it. "...would call out to a sleeping ancient, and wake them from an eternal resting place,"

Rey was silent while she tried to mull over what this meant for her. It all seemed like a coincidence, but she couldn't be sure. She had seen what Ren was capable of, wasn't it possible that some great vampire had been orchestrating her entire life up until that point? It was too spooky to consider fully, and she looked up at Ren, who was looking at her.

"What do you have to do with all of that?"

"From what I recall, the ceremony would have to involve one of my bloodline," He admitted, his gaze dropping to the couch.

"Is it real?" She asked.

"What, the blood rite? I don't know, honestly. I was always of the belief that it was superstitious talk,"

"Hilda said you knew what I was," She finally said, and he looked at her.

Ren looked surprised.

"What you are?" He asked, blinking. "I would never want to wake a sleeping ancient," He admitted. "It would be death by fire, for everyone,"

"But obviously, you were meant to be involved somehow," She said, pulling out the picture she'd drawn of him.

"They are a cult," He said. "They spring up every so often and then are ultimately responsible for their own demise. I wouldn't involve myself with it, it's a radical line of thought that believes that if we cleanse the world entirely we might be reborn again as human,"

"Wow," She whispered, setting the picture down on the coffee table.

Wow, wow, wow.

"I'm guessing then, that somehow this rite involves my death,"

"No," He said, looking at her carefully. "Mine,"

"Yours?"

"I don't know the particulars," He finally admitted. "But I'm sure they're not pleasant,"

"I'm sure," Rey repeated quietly.

"Do you think they're the ones who have been stalking you?" He finally asked.

"Yes," She said quietly.

"Have you heard anything recently?"

"No, the last text I received was a few weeks ago," She paused. "Have you noticed anything...stranger than usual? With your job?"

"There's a general sense of unease. But that isn't uncommon,"

"I can't understand why Hilda would try to kill me if this was what she was a part of," She said, more to herself than to him.

"I'll see what I can find out," He finally said after a long moment of silence.

"So, I'm supposed to believe you have nothing to do with this?"

"You can believe whatever you'd like," He finally said. "I wouldn't exactly blame you for feeling as if I'm being dishonest,"

"It isn't that," She finally said, her eyes dropping to the floor. "It just feels too intentional to be a coincidence. You hired me because you needed someone for the job, and nothing else? What about hiring me as your assistant?"

"Rey," He smirked, just a bit. "I'm not used to having someone tell me no as openly as you do," He admitted. "It's also been quite a number of years since I've had someone tell me how despicable they find me. It was refreshing,"

When he said her name, instead of calling her 'Miss Beckett', it felt more intimate than anything else.

* * *

Rey stood up abruptly and moved over to the window. Her thoughts were churning at a tumultuous pace. She was the type of girl who wanted to find a solution to a problem, but he'd just presented so many problems to her that she wasn't sure how to deal with all of it. She looked out over the view to try and find some clarity in it, but she just felt muddled. What did it all mean? Finally, she took a deep inhale and exhaled through her nose, trying to steady herself and prevent the rising panic. What had she gotten herself into? If it hadn't been this job, would it have been another?

She felt him next to her as surely as she felt one of her own limbs, and she realized he'd gotten up and had come to stand beside her. She had to remind herself that her body reacting to him was merely a side effect of his saving her life.

"I never said thank you," She said, softly.

"For what?" His eyes were on the skyline.

"For saving me,"

"Did I save you?"

He turned to glance at her, and she looked up at him. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. She was thinking that maybe, she could use another drink. She was also thinking about how it was probably better if she went home. She lingered, though, and so did he. He reached out, his fingertip idly twisting up into one of her curls. The sudden movement was surprising, but Rey found she did not want to leave it and walk away from him.

"May I?" He asked in a hushed tone, and she was unsure about what he was asking permission for before he leaned in, his eyes on hers.

She felt both of his hands in her hair, fingertips brushing her neck as he leaned in a bit closer. There was a moment of panic when she realized she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Some terrible little part of her wanted to pay him back for the night where she'd thrown herself at him, but instead of doing that, she leaned up just an inch until they (sort of) met in the middle.

This time he kissed her as if he wanted to. Though it started out slowly, causing her eyes to flutter closed and her lips to part just so, he pulled her ever closer with each physical indication that she gave that she wasn't exactly against the idea. She found him strangely chilled, until he began to warm up, that same strange borrowing of warmth that had happened before happening again. She expected the kiss to become quick, but he kissed her with an unusual slowness, as if he might not get a chance to do so again.

It was color blossoming behind her eyes, it was her blood pulsing heavily through her body, warming her up and softening her towards him. She couldn't imagine that this was all just a side effect of his blood, and she found she didn't care right at that moment. It was something she wasn't expecting. Hesitantly, she reached out to touch him, her fingertips grasping his t-shirt before her hands flattened out and she ran them along the exposed bits of his skin.

He caught her wrists with his fingertips and drew them around his neck and shoulders, grasping onto her and pulling her that much nearer. He pulled away briefly, allowing her to gasp in a bit of air before he kissed her again, ever advancing on her in a way that suggested he was far from indifferent to her.

When the buzzer on his door erupted with a loud noise, the pulled away from each other quickly, both of them looking at the source of the noise with a feeling that was addlepated. Ren gave a small little curse, obviously irritated with the disruption.

He reluctantly released her, and she reluctantly released him, her tongue flicking out over her lips. He tasted vaguely of the wine they'd been drinking earlier in the evening. Ren leaned into the intercom, trying to be as polite as possible considering that he'd just been thwarted. The door man advised him that it was Amalia, and she was insistent on being let up, even though Ren had told him that he wasn't to be disturbed. Rey flushed, realizing the kind of hell that might be unleashed if Amalia found her up here. Ren managed to talk him out of letting her up, and the buzzing stopped.

"She's a vampire, isn't she?" Rey asked, watching him make his way back into the living room.

"Yes," He said. "Why?"

"Don't you think she'll find a way to get up here anyway?"

"It's a possibility," He said. "But I have no reason to believe she will,"

"I should go," Rey said, pulling her skirt down a bit self consciously.

"And I supposed if I asked you to stay, you would say no?" Ren looked at her with a smile on his face. Rey noticed that familiar red pinprick in his eyes.

"Probably," She said in response, a small smile lifting her mouth.

"Will you stay?"

"Maybe for a bit," She replied, and was glad when she saw the surprise register on his face.

* * *

Rey was the first one to speak again. Her head was foggy and muddled from the information she'd received, and obviously, the kiss.

"Do you have something to drink?" She asked curiously, keeping her spot near the window.

"What would you like?"

"Wine? Or whatever you have," She said, glancing down to her booted feet. "What do you do?" She asked, curiously. "In your job as sheriff," She said, smirking as she carefully moved into the kitchen. She watched the back of him as he moved around, preparing the drink she'd requested. This wine was white.

He slid her an elegantly stemmed glass, and she saw the condensation clinging to the glass from the chilled wine. She took a sip, finding it was sweet.

"Dessert wine," He said simply. "Since you didn't get any dessert," He leaned against the counter. She had to admit she was glad the island was between the two of them. "I try and solve disputes," He admitted. "It's more PR than anything else these days. In the age of camera phones and internet videos, it gets harder to keep ourselves a secret,"

She nodded. She had so many questions she wanted to ask him, but she didn't want to overwhelm him and shut him off again. She felt she needed to be careful about the type of questions she asked.

"How old are you?" She asked curiously, watching him draw out from the other side of the kitchen island. She saw him coming nearer to her with a glass of wine in his hand, though he passed by her and moved back into the living room. She watched him take a seat, and followed.

"I'm very, very old," He teased. "At least by human standards. By vampire standards, I'm still fairly young," He took another sip. "Will you come back to work?"

She was surprised he had asked her. She hadn't thought about it, she had been so sure that she would not.

"Why?" She asked, curiously.

"Why not?" He asked back, setting his now empty glass of wine on the table. "Unless you are intending on walking out of here and never seeing me again,"

"I don't think that would be possible,"

"I don't either," He admitted, though she wasn't sure what he was admitting to. Their apparent blood blond, or something else? "Whoever these people are, they feel they benefit from our connection,"

"Yes," She said, setting her drink down in front of her.

"It seems better, after what happened, to have someone who can help you," He admitted. "I respect how independent you are, but there are certain things that you won't be able to fight off,"

"Being a squishy human, you mean?"

Ren laughed.

"Yes,"

She really wanted to believe that if she walked away from him, these strange things might stop, but the time she'd spent with Luke made her realize it was unlikely. It had found her out there, whatever 'it' was.

"I'm afraid of going back into that building," She admitted, for the first time, to anyone.

"I don't blame you," He said simply, watching as she retrieved her wine glass and took a sip. "I'm afraid to let people back in," He admitted. "It turns out that they've been disappearing, steadily, for quite awhile,"

"Really?" She asked, unaware.

"Yes. I'm not so stupid as to eat where I work, and I certainly wouldn't want to bring the police to my doorstep. I have to believe someone has chosen me for a reason,"

Rey felt herself blanching when she realized and remembered what exactly he lived on. She felt she might be sick, but when she was sitting so close to him and he was so languid, handsome, and charming - it was easy to forget what he was.

"I apologize," He said. "I know it's difficult to stomach,"

She finished her wine off completely, and it seemed as if Ren was getting nearer and nearer to her. She hated to admit that she found comfort in his nearness, and when he dropped another soft kiss to her mouth, she leaned into him and they both fell backwards onto the couch. She placed her hand on his wrist, his hand again on her features. She pulled back just a bit, looking at his strange eyes and licking her lips.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything," He replied, surprised.

"Will you...read to me?"

"Really?" Ren smiled, unbelieving, his nose brushing at hers in a gesture that was wildly affectionate.

She nodded slowly, reiterating that it was what she wanted.

Ren got up and retrieved a book from his collection. It didn't really matter what it was, at least not to Rey, but he'd chosen a novel that Rey had never read. She took her shoes off and they settled back into the couch. She leaned against him carefully, as if he was glass, when really she was the one who was glass.

She fell asleep to the honeyed tones of his voice, and it was perhaps the best she'd slept in weeks.

There was a lot of information to process, and if Rey had been in any state of mind that wasn't exhausted, she wouldn't have been able to sleep. It seemed an opportune time to grab a few moments of peace. Neither of them seemed to know how long it would last. When Rey woke up, she didn't know how much time had passed, but she felt Ren's solid frame beside her, having grown warm with her sleeping against him. At some point, he'd put the book down and drew a blanket around her. She wasn't sure if he was sleeping, or if he even needed sleep. He'd drawn the black out curtains and the place was dark, and when she opened her eyes completely she saw Amalia standing there in front of him. She gave a startled gasp and shot up, shifting enough so that Ren noticed.

"What a sweet picture," She sneered out.

* * *

 **srry that this chapter is a lil short. i have a case of the depressies. also, amalia you beast. also, lots of fluffy stuff. enjoy your fluff. also, some of you asked for the play list for this but you are a guesty so i can't send it to you. i see you guesty.**


	11. Something Other

Ren was quick to reach out for Rey's hand. It seemed as if he was intent on standing his ground, even if she wasn't. He prevented her from getting up and running towards the door. Maybe Amalia was like a tiger, and if Rey tried to run she would only chase after her. He held tightly to her, and it made her feel somewhat reassured that he hadn't quickly moved away from her like shrapnel. It seemed as if he wasn't trying to hide anything.

Amalia scoffed.

"You know you're not the first human girl he's been infatuated with," She looked at her nails, as if she was already bored by the confrontation. "You won't be the last,"

"Amalia," Ren said, his voice calm and chilly. "I believe I told you you weren't welcome unless you requested to be here first," His hand grasped Rey's tightly before he released it, and he stood up carefully.

 **(Stay there.)**

She heard him in her head, which gave her a shock.

He seemed surprised by it too, though she wondered if it had always been a skill of his or if he suddenly was able to speak to her without actually speaking to her at all. Rey stood up with him (she never listened), finding that she wasn't as afraid of the woman as she had been. She didn't know how vampires got drunk, but she realized that the woman seemed as if she'd been imbibing in something. She slurred a bit, and stumbled, and was generally acting out of impulse. What Ren had said was right, that she didn't exactly seem interested in Ren himself.

Maybe it was Ren who was clearly not afraid of Amalia that gave her her sudden strength, but she didn't feel as if she was a real, true threat. Not after what she'd dealt with and survived. She was talking some sort of baby talk at Ren, who was trying to keep her from acting like she had no bones at all. He kept her upright and steadily pushed her towards the door, though she purred, whined and complained each time he rebuffed her.

"They don't survive," Amalia finally murmured, looking back to Rey as Ren got her closer to the door. "Human girls can't survive him," She said, giving out a disgruntled moan as he hauled her off and through the door. She didn't fall, she was too graceful for that, catching herself before it came to connecting with the floor.

Ren shut the door behind her, and looked at Rey with what could be considered concern and apology.

"She doesn't mean half of what she says," He said. "And she's really not so bad once you get to know her,"

"It's true though, isn't it?"

"What?"

"That a human girl couldn't survive you,"

Ren's eyes dropped to the ground. It was true.

"Rey," He said simply. "I'm not in the habit of chasing human women," He admitted. "I'm often very aware of my life span versus...theirs. But I would ask you to give me a chance, anyway,"

"A chance?"

"What's the word," He said, smirking. "Courting?"

"Ack," Rey said in response, pulling a 'grossed out' face. Ren laughed, and she found herself laughing with him. "Why?"

"I don't have any one reason, only that it feels as if I've come across you before, and let you slip, and here you are again," He admitted.

"But you don't remember me as a girl?"

"It isn't like that," He replied. "But I do want to see what I can find out about that house,"

"Yeah, I want to see what I can find out about all of it," She admitted. "But I should probably get home,"

"I'll take you," He said. "Will you at least reconsider the job?"

"I'll think about it," She took a moment to look outside. "The sun is coming up," She said. "I'll get a cab,"

Ren looked uncomfortable.

"Do you drive?"

"Ren, I'm not taking your car," She said, a smirk gracing her features. "I'll be alright. I'll let you know when I get home,"

He leveled his gaze at her, and she realized, not for the first time, just how oddly lovely he was. She looked back at him, her face a mixture of bemusement and mystification. She took a few steps forward, intending to get her shoes. He stopped her, his fingertips sliding underneath her jawline, causing her to lift her eyes to him. He kissed her again, this time with a maddening softness that reminded her of that night that she'd tried to kiss him. She found it was a sensation she could get used to, but something at the back of her mind told her that it wasn't really her, but some aspect of his blood calling back out to him.

She pulled back, finding he leaned into her and made it that much more difficult to get away from him. He was overwhelming, and she felt as if it was time for her to get some much needed air. He planted a few parting kisses to her lips and released her (and she released a small 'hum'), allowing her to retrieve her belongings and head towards the exit. She checked to make sure Amalia wasn't standing there in the hallway, waiting for her.

"Good morning, Rey," He murmured, and she left him at the door, making her way to the elevator.

Rey noticed he was trying to back off, as usually he would've insisted that she take his car, or that he take her. She knew he was worried about what lurked where he couldn't see, but she couldn't spend the rest of her life glued to his side. Besides, it might not have solved any problems in any case. Ren could not always be with her, and she would have to find a way to solve the problem so that it didn't require his constant presence.

She still wasn't even sure that she could trust what she was feeling, especially after what he'd told her.

She made her way down through the lobby, and the new man at the desk nodded to her before letting her out of the building. The sun had tossed pastel colors across the sky as it rose, and she wondered what it must be like not to be able to watch a sunset ever again.

Rey was careful when she hailed a cab. She wanted to make sure she didn't end up kidnapped again. It would've been completely ridiculous if she did get kidnapped again. When she got home, she punched in the code to her door and quickly shut it behind herself, leaning up against it. She touched her fingers to her lips, her mind rolling back to the kisses that he'd shared with her. She couldn't help it; she smiled. She pulled her phone out and sent him a text message like she'd promised, and he responded quickly with a short message. She was wishing she hadn't left, but she was afraid of what might have happened if she'd stayed.

She decided not to think about it, even though images from the evening drifted back to her every so often. His mouth, his eyes, his hair. They were all in her head as if he was still standing there in front of her. She found herself overcome with it, and realized that the breath of fresh air hadn't helped. She ached again. Her phone dinged, and she thought perhaps that he might have been feeling the same way, but her heart sank with panic when she realized that it had come from 'Missing'.

 _ **Comfortable yet?**_

Rey wanted to reply. She knew it would be a bad idea to, but she was angry and tired of being afraid.

 _ **What do you want?**_

There was no reply, leaving her trembling with anger that was yet to be released. Finally, it beeped.

 _ **;)**_

Rey normally would've been amused by the use of a smiley face, but in this instance, it felt that whoever had put it there was mocking her. She didn't respond this time, throwing her phone down in frustration. After a few minutes, she took a screen shot of the text messages and sent them to Ren, who responded with a simple: I'm looking into it.

* * *

School came on more quickly than she was ready for. She hadn't given Ren an answer on whether or not she'd come back to work, but she saw on the news that he had re-opened the building and allowed people to come back to work. Rey was scared of what this might mean, but she thought that maybe if she wasn't there, there would be no problems. Ren sent her pictures, every so often. They made her smile, and occasionally she would send a photo back to him. He never pestered her about work, but she knew he wanted her to come back. Rose sent her messages every so often, keeping her updated about the situation she was experiencing at home, and she heard from Finn and Poe occasionally.

She was glad to find that Poe was in one of her classes when she went back to school. She took a seat next to him, glad to have something other to focus on than her worries and concerns about what had happened in the last few weeks.

"Hey Rey," She said, cheerfully.

"Hey Poe," She said in reply. "No Finn?"

"Nah, he's already taken this class. He had a math class he needed to finish,"

"Oooh, fun,"

"Haven't really heard from you lately,"

"Yeah...uh, it was a busy winter break,"

"Oh really?" Poe asked. "Was it that guy who came and dragged you out of the bar that one night?"

"Kind of," She said, flushing a bit.

"He seems like an asshole," Poe said earnestly, and Rey laughed.

"Yeah, he kind of is," She admitted.

They sat in silence for the rest of the class, taking notes before it was time to go into individual study. A lot of art classes were that way, after ART 101, there was only so much lecturing that could be done. They sat in comfortable silence before Poe looked at her, his eyes looking somewhat strange.

"You should be careful, Rey," He said simply. "He's a dangerous man,"

Rey was shocked, it seemed as if someone else was speaking through him. It was further confirmed with Poe shook it off, and went back to drawing as if he'd never said anything at all. She asked him what he meant, but he looked at her in confusion and she realized it might not have been him speaking at all. When the class was over, she quietly gathered her things and said goodnight. She didn't want to risk having to experience the oddity again, and she thought it might be a good idea to get home.

The letter showed up that evening.

She just happened to be checking the mail, and she pulled out an envelope that had no to or from address. She thought maybe it was a mistake, how had it gotten here with no address on it? She looked at the back, and saw it was marked with crimson red wax and pressed with a seal of some sort. She didn't recognize it, but it looked so old fashioned she was immediately sure that it had something to do with Ren. She brought it into the apartment, carefully breaking the wax seal so that it was still in tact. With shaking hands, she opened the letter, which had elegant cursive scrawled out over it. It was so old fashioned, she had a hard time making out the words at first.

 _Such immense power I sense in one so young._

 _Have you asked him how his last assistant died?_

 _You shall be mine before you are his._

 _I will twist you up until you are a beautiful mockery of what you once were._

 _Do not believe for one moment that you are safe anywhere, my darling girl._

 _I will find you no matter where you go._

 _-S_

Rey dropped the letter on her desk as if it was a bomb, feeling utterly terrorized. She had allowed herself to believe that she was safe, but it was fairly clear that whoever this was, they were not about to allow her to get comfortable for too long. She began looking around the apartment, realizing that things were out of place or turned over - things that she had been ignoring, maybe.

Her first instinct was to call Ren. It was, however, the second time that she'd heard someone mention his previous assistant. She wasn't sure, now, that he wasn't involved in all of this. Maybe he had written this letter. Maybe he was the one who was stalking her. She remembered how he kissed her, and touched her, and thought that it might have been impossible. How could such a man want to terrorize her?

Finally, after struggling with her better impulses, she called him.

He didn't answer his phone, and it went to voice mail. It was surprising, considering each time she called him he always answered his phone. She waited, expecting that he would call back, but after an hour or so passed, she tried again. This time, his phone went straight to voice mail, and she became concerned. Was he ignoring her? She had to assume that's what it was, or at least, she wanted to assume that's what it was. Maybe he had changed his mind. Maybe he had realized the utter insanity of all of this, and maybe, like her, he was hoping that if he ignored it...it would go away.

She tried to call him one more time, and that went straight to his voicemail as well. She listened to his deep tones purring out a charming message, but she hung up before she got a chance to leave one. She thought maybe she should go to the building. Maybe he was busy, and he hadn't been looking at his phone. From what she remembered, however, Ren had always been looking at his phone. She realized it would be an utterly stupid idea to go out at night, but she wasn't sure how safe she was inside of her own apartment. She began shuffling around in her desk, remembering the necklace he gave her. She was so scared that anything was worth a try. She strung it over her neck, clasping it and pulling it forward. It was cold, and it gave her the immediate sensation of fog.

She honestly wasn't sure if she would make it through the night. She had the vague sensation of shadowy shapes shifting around outside her windows, and she kept a close eye on the door to make sure that no one had gotten in. She couldn't calm herself down long enough to turn on the TV, or music, or something that might distract her from her apparent terror. They were watching her. They were always watching her. She had no doubt that someone was looking at her right now, through whatever supernatural lens they no doubt possessed.

Her phone began to beep. It was the same reiteration of the rhyme she'd heard before. Sleep tight, blood rite. Over and over and over again. It kept beeping, until the texts became so prevalent that she had to turn her phone on silent, though she knew they kept coming. She saw the light blinking, and when she swiped to see the screen again, she realized that they had sent so many that it was likely her phone service prevented them from sending anymore. She looked at them, though the very last one differed from what the others said.

 _ **Look outside.**_

Rey gave a short sob, the tears flowing freely and quietly down her face now. She would not be looking outside, she was paralyzed in fear. She looked at her phone, and the message kept repeating itself. Look outside. Suddenly, she heard the familiar whispers in her head. Look outside, look outside, look outside. Miss Beckett, Miss Beckett, Miss Beckett. Rey, Rey, Rey. She heard his voice plainly in her head, much like she had when he'd told her to stay put. She realized that it was him, reaching out and strumming the thread between them in an attempt to get her to respond.

She found herself drawn up and out of her cowering position on her futon, grasping the necklace tightly and carefully opening the door. She peered out into the night, which was cold and drizzling. She was sure it would snow, considering how the air seemed to freeze the water midway. She looked each way, her vision blurry with her tears which she was sure might freeze once they had escaped from her tear duct. She saw nothing, until she heard a vague groan, and she spied a slumped shadow half slung from her stoop.

She had the vague sense that she was looking at a wounded animal, but she couldn't have known it until she was up close. She turned the porch light on, and was surprised to find Ren slumped there, his dark black blood staining the half of his face and a good chunk of his expensive dress shirt. His suit was a deep, navy blue, but it looked as though it had seen better days.

"Ren?" She asked, unable to believe that he was injured. If he was injured, what chance did she have?

He was not conscious, and wasn't able to give a groan in reply. She knew, though, that he was obviously injured. She leaned down, wondering just how in the hell she was going to get him inside. She used her shoulders, slinging his arm over them and doing her best to try and coax him upwards. He must have been conscious enough to at least do that, considering he was upright. She was sure that she wouldn't have been able to do it on her own. She helped him inside, glad to hear the lock click behind them. She gracelessly flopped him onto her futon, wincing a bit as she heard him grunt out in pain.

"Sorry," She murmured, quietly. She leaned down, pushing his hair from the wound. It was tacky with blood. "I should call an ambulance," She murmured, trying to get a better look at the wound that now slashed his face.

"No," He groaned, catching her hand. "No ambulance,"

"Ren, you're injured," She said, stammering a bit.

"No ambulance," He repeated, firmly.

Rey was concerned. She didn't know what to expect when it came to a vampire, but from what she recalled in fiction, they usually healed up fairly quickly. That meant that this was a concern. When she looked at his features, it looked as if someone had attacked him with sunlight itself. It left black edging where his skin had been, and it seemed to glow as if someone was taking a lighter to a paper towel. She tilted his features back gently, and she noticed that his eye that was afflicted glowed that strange, molten gold. He was an utterly 'disparate' creature, and it always shocked her to be reminded of it.

His eyes held those strange red pricks. He looked hungry.

"Ren," She said, though she wasn't sure what she was trying to convey. She pulled back, and with speed, he caught her wrist firmly. His fingertips slid over the place where her pulse would be, and he seemed to get a deviant glee, listening to her blood pulse through her veins.

 _"Please,"_ He muttered, a mixture of monstrous and pitiful.

She might have said no. She thought of all the warnings she'd gotten, about him, about the previous assistant. He was a wolf that she'd taken into her home, and unfortunately, he'd begun to creep his way into her heart. He looked pitiful, and beautiful, and she could feel his pain as surely as he could. Finally, she gave into him. She felt as if she was always giving into him.

It happened quickly. He pulled her slender wrist against his mouth, seeming to enjoy the softness of her skin before his fangs made themselves terrifyingly apparent. They were white, and sharp, and they stood out from his mouth in an uncanny way. Rey gave a cry when he sunk them into her flesh. She expected to feel pain, but there was nothing, only the vague sense of someone taking her blood. In fact, there was something vaguely pleasurable about it. She saw him brighten, she saw his life force come back, the wound on his face seeming less dire, though it never quite healed.

She might have grown afraid at how much of her blood he was taking. She began to feel woozy, and she was fairly sure he might drain her dry, but it was past the point that she could do anything about it. Finally, with what seemed to be a great force of will, he drew his fangs from the white flesh of her arm and sucked in a deep breath of air, his mouth glimmering red with her blood.

It was as if he was a drug addict, and he had finally gotten a fix.

She stumbled as she pulled her wrist back, watching with horror as the puncture wounds healed, leaving behind small, pink, and waxy scars. She wondered if she would be marked for life. She stepped back from him, her other hand wrapping around her wrist as she watched him come back to life. She could see, though, that whatever had injured him would not be such an easy fix.

"Get something to drink," He said, his voice ragged with something she couldn't quite describe. "Not for me, for you,"

She could see the concern there, once the hunger had passed. He remembered what she was. She too was remembering what he was. It would be hard to avoid, now.

She stumbled to the fridge, pulling out some juice that she'd bought a few days earlier. She poured it into a clean glass, sipping at it slowly before she took a careful seat beside him. He was breathing heavily, as if the blood was burning a path through his body. His skin looked more human, and was flushed with a vague, pinkish hue. He had taken from her, and now he mimicked her.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from him. He was more handsome than he'd ever been this way, even with the wound that marred his face. She couldn't think that it would disrupt his face forever, but she honestly didn't know. She saw that it dipped down below his chin, having caught his breast plate. Once she finished her juice, she felt a bit more like herself, and she realized she was sitting beside a man who was more predator than human. Still, she reached out carefully and began undoing the top buttons on his bloody shirt. It was like oil, and it stained her fingertips.

"What happened?" She asked curiously.

He didn't seem in any state to reply to her. Carefully, she slid his jacket over his shoulders and put it aside, trying to get a better look at the entire wound. She couldn't fathom it. It looked unlike anything she'd seen before in her life. This was no scraped knee or even a bullet wound, but something else.

She cleared his clothing away from the wound before she stood up, wetting a rag with warm water and returning with it. She wiped away the blood that stained him, though she'd honestly never had a need to provide a vampire with first aid before. Once the blood was cleaned away, she looked at his face. He was looking at her, his one eye still that strange melting gold color.

She wished he would stop looking at her that way.

But then again, she didn't.

He wanted something from her, something more than what he'd already taken from her. She thought that she might have been completely stupid, carrying him into her apartment like this. What if he was the one responsible for all of this? Even then she was questioning how safe she really was with him.

He reached out, his hand sliding idly down the column of her throat. His fingertips brushed her thrumming pulse, which felt like a bird rattling around erratically in a cage. He couldn't take more blood from her, it would likely kill her. His hand dipped lower, reaching for the necklace she wore and grasping it in his hand. He yanked it off of her, and when he tossed it away she realized it had left behind a blackened mark on his palm.

He'd given it to her to protect her from other vampires.

"Take your clothes off," He muttered, a lazy, befanged smirk making itself obvious on his features.

* * *

 _ **do you think she'll take her clothes off and there will be smut or do you think she'll be like no bitch get out**_

 _ **who knows, guess you'll have to read the next chapter fam**_

 _ **(it's way more likely i'll do something annoying to thwart them again, so you know, lay the hate on me)**_


	12. Witch

Rey was a bit surprised by his command, but his arrogant look at his drunk attitude made her realize she didn't want to give him what he wanted. Something was off about him, a mixture of the injury and her blood, perhaps, but she took a step back, wrapping her arms defensively around herself. He was so beautiful it was difficult, but Rey managed it, employing her old defenses.

"You're not afraid, are you?" He asked, coming forward. He moved like a predator, and she hated to say it, but she was entranced. She wondered if he wanted to kill her or have sex with her.

Maybe he couldn't tell the difference right at that moment in time.

He stood up, a bit wobbly.

"No," She said, taking another step back as he took another step forward. He seemed intent on it, and his lazy smirk seemed to indicate that he might not be so easily put off.

"No you're not afraid, or no you won't take your clothes off?"

"No," She repeated, her features hardening against him.

He laughed, though she could tell even then he was wobbly. She became further convinced that something wasn't right. She wondered if it was the injury, or something else, but when he took another step, Rey felt something flinty strike up a spark within her. She pushed back against him, drawing from unknown place deep down. He felt it, like a snap of lightning, and he buckled down to his knees as she used this strange new energy to push him down into a more submissive position; his knees connecting harshly with the floor. He groaned out in surprise, and pain, looking up at her in shock before he wrapped his arms around his middle and crumpled in on himself.

Rey was shocked, and encased in ice. She couldn't move she was so stunned at what she had just done. She looked at her hands, before she looked down at Ren, who was groaning in pain before he flopped back onto his back, his hair falling out of his face. She leaned down carefully, looking him over.

"Are you going to behave?"

"It passed," He groaned out, still in pain.

"Good," She said, leaning down to him. He seemed to be in more pain now that her blood had passed through him. "Ren, you need help. Tell me there's someone I can call,"

"She doesn't have a phone," He said, talking from behind his teeth. "Her card is in my wallet,"

"Who doesn't have a phone?" Rey asked, though she had thought many times in the last few weeks that she would've liked to get rid of hers.

She stood up, finding his bill fold in his jacket. She began digging around, though she looked to him to find out more information about what she was looking for; he didn't seem in the state for it. She picked up the necklace he'd ripped from her before she kept digging around, through business cards and credit cards. One of them drew her eye. It had a symbol of a hand holding a knife, and the card was white with stark black lettering. It read: Phasma Oddities. Rey might have been operating on assumption, but it was vastly different than the other cards he kept, and she had to think she might know how to help him. When she flashed it in his face, he gave a brief (but pained) nod of recognition.

"Can you get up?" She asked, realizing she might not have the fortitude to get him back outside. She didn't have a car, and she wasn't sure he'd brought his, considering the state he was in.

He nodded, and in a very unsteady fashion, stood up. She tossed his jacket over his shoulders, shoving the wallet back into his inner pockets. He had to use her as a crutch, and she quickly hailed a cab. She was thankful for the time of day. She was able to convince the cab driver that he was just drunk, and that the black substance was something that had gotten spilled on him in the bar. The cab driver muttered that it was a little early in the night to be so wasted, but Rey just gave him the card and pointed to the address. The man shook his head, clicking his tongue before he handed the card back to her.

Ren snoozed, his head somehow finding it's way to her lap. She watched him carefully, trying to gauge whether or not he was dangerous anymore. He certainly didn't look it, sleeping away a bit angelically. She didn't know if he was sleeping, or if he was just unconscious. She noticed that the strange wound had started to bleed again, and she hoped the cab driver wouldn't tell his friends about the weird fare he'd gotten. Rey had dragged her purse with her, and she dug around in it, trying to find something that she could use to wipe away his inky blood.

She had nothing, so she was extremely appreciative when the cabbie pulled up in front of a small store front. It looked like no one was there, and Rey was quickly realizing that this might have been a fruitless venture. She had to yank Ren out of the cab after throwing one of his credit cards at the driver. She barely got it shoved into her pocket before she found herself acting as a crutch for a very drunk-seeming and heavy vampire. The cabbie drove off quickly, probably irritated that he'd had to go so far out of the circle of people stumbling out of bars looking for a ride home. Rey noticed the old style neon sign that moved, a hand sliding out a deck of cards.

Rey almost dropped Ren, though he managed to keep himself up right and they stood, Rey feeling gravity and Ren's weight pushing her down as she knocked on the door. She thought she wouldn't get an answer, and she thought her and Ren would go tumbling into the bushes just as the door swung open. Rey was already stunned by the woman, who stood taller than Ren himself. She had an intense blue gaze, and her hair was a cornsilk blonde, cut into a short bob. She had a brightly colored scarf wrapped around her head, and wore the broom skirt and linen top that Rey supposed came with her profession. She looked at Rey curiously before taking in Ren, releasing a puff of air that could be considered irritated.

"Bring him in," Rey heard her accented tones and knew she wasn't American.

Rey struggled with him before Phasma reached out to help her drag him across the threshold. He had completely lost consciousness at that point, and Rey watched his head dangle back as he was dragged in the direction of a spot where he could be put down. He was slung across a medical table in one of her back rooms, and Rey wondered how often she dealt with this sort of thing. She had to know he was a vampire, as she didn't blanch at his strange injuries at all. She pulled back his shirt, which had already been unbuttoned, taking in the damage with the eye of a woman who had seen a good deal of oddity. Perhaps that was where she got her name from.

"What caused it?" She asked quietly as Phasma began pulling out strange little bottles full of potions and poultices she could only begin to guess at.

"This?" She asked, pointing to the wound. "It's called Sunlight," She laughed a bit. "Not without a bit of cheek. It's used by hunters,"

"Hunters?" Rey asked, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Yes, witch, you should know," She said, regarding Rey with a steady gaze for a few long moments before she went back to doing what she was doing.

"Witch?" Rey looked at her, obviously at a loss for full sentences.

"I see," She said, beginning to work on the wound. "You're not aware of what you are,"

"I'm not a witch," She said, flatly.

Phasma only looked at her blankly, continuing on with her motions.

Up until then, she had considered it only as a religion, and nothing more. She knew little about it, but she couldn't imagine that this very tall woman was being serious. She was able to scoff at it, even though the ridiculousness of scoffing at it didn't go over her head. There they were, tending to a badly wounded vampire, after all. Phasma could only shrug her shoulders and continue on with her work. She could only assume they were acquaintances, or maybe friends, otherwise...why would this woman bother to help him?

"How do you know him?"

"Oh, we're old friends," She said, and Rey was sure she hadn't missed the sarcasm.

"He seems to have a lot of those,"

"Well, sweetheart, you tangle with a vampire and that's what you get," She said, though she was distracted and focused on what she was doing, Rey couldn't miss the sharpness in her tone.

Rey decided it was probably better to leave the woman to her work, as a few barked orders and harsh sentences would put even the strongest off of trying to have a conversation with her. She was curious, but she got the definite feeling that Phasma liked to be alone when she was working (if that was even her name). Rey found her way back out into the shop area. It was full of tarot decks, books about tarot and other items, like tea leaf reading and palm reading. There were stones of every shape and size, and Rey took a moment to dig her hand into a bag full of smooth hematite. There were candles of every color, and an entire wall full of potions. There were some of them for love, some of them for luck, and really any under the sun a person might think of.

She came upon a small curio cabinet full of figurines. One in particular stood out, a small fox with obsidian eyes, gleaming curiously out at her. It was carved in a sitting position, with a tail wrapped proudly around it's front. Rey didn't know why it called to her so, and she reached out to pick it up. She examined it's glimmering eyes, twisting it around in the low light.

"A fox," She heard, the woman's voice booming behind her.

Rey gasped, nearly dropping the thing. She managed to catch it before it slipped out of her hands.

"Seen as a guide, revered for it's wisdom," She said simply. "Interesting you should pick that one,"

Rey quickly put it down.

"I was just interested in how it was made," She said, turning to look at the woman. She didn't know how long she'd been wandering the shop.

"Your friend will be fine," She said. She plucked the fox up and handed it to her. "Take it with you,"

"Can I come see him tomorrow?"

"He can't stay here," Phasma said, watching as Rey gently took the figurine from her fingertips.

"Why not?" Rey asked.

"They'll find him here," She said simply, digging around in the back of her shop for something. Rey didn't know what.

"Take these with you," Phasma handed her a deck of cards with strange illustrations on them, painted in thick, shining black ink. "They'll keep you hidden for a time, until he's healed up,"

"What, you mean for me to take him with me?" Rey carefully took the cards, wondering what the hell she was meant to do with them. "Why can't you just use these here?"

"This is a sanctuary," Phasma said simply, as if Rey should already know. "I'm not allowed to use magic here. That doesn't mean that hunters aren't allowed to try and kill him,"

"That kind of defeats the purpose of a sanctuary," Rey said quietly, shoving the cards into her bag.

"Call a cab," Phasma said. "I'll help you get him out of here,"

The next hour or so was focused on getting Ren out of Phasma's shop. She called another car, this time she called a number on Ren's phone that was designated as driver. She knew how well it had gone last time, but she didn't want to risk pooling him into a cab again. He was even more unconscious than he'd been before, almost stony in his sleep. The effect of her blood had worn off, and Phasma had healed the burning flesh and prevented it from going any further. Phasma gave her the cards, and a small vial full of something that smelled awful. She had strict instructions to make sure that she packed it in the wound for the next couple of days. She also warned that Ren might sleep for a long time, though Rey didn't know what a long time was when it came to a vampire. When they were prepared, Phasma told her to come back when she was ready.

When the driver came, Rey gave him instructions to take them to a hotel. She hoped that Ren had stayed in hotels around the city, but the driver took them out of the limits, directing the car into the hills where a resort laid, sprawled out across the mountains. The night was lit up with a bright, half moon, limping across the sky. It got darker as they got father from the city, the usual fog of the pollution lightening a bit and allowing Rey to see the stars. Ren barely stirred.

Rey got out of the car while the driver dealt with Ren. She rented the room with one of his credit cards, finding it was rather freeing that she didn't have to worry about it declining while she booked the room. Once it was done, they sneaked Ren in with all the hopes that he wouldn't be noticed by the staff. Thankfully, they seemed unaware of the fact that he wasn't walking, and they were dragging him. The two of them managed him, but not as effectively as Phasma had. When they were in the room, Rey gave the driver instructions to leave them. She would call if she needed anything.

They flopped Ren onto the bed like a heavy sculpture, and Rey began the process of pinning the cards up, as Phasma had said. Rey watched as each one disappeared, the symbol painted there in burning itself onto the hotel wall. She hoped that it wouldn't stay, but she realized they would likely just charge Ren's card if there was damage. The thought of it gave her a bit of glee. She had to pay back the man who had caused her to miss class, again.

Ren laid on his back on the bed, unmoving. She thought for the moment that it was better to let him rest, though there were times when she wasn't sure that he still lived. She wasn't even sure she could call him living. Rey found herself exhausted, and she was glad that there were two beds. She took her shoes off and slid into the sheets. It was more comfortable than her futon at home, and she fell asleep almost immediately, despite the fact that she might have been in danger. 'They' might have been in danger.

* * *

Rey had strange dreams. She dreamed about the shadows that haunted Luke's ranch. She dreamed about Ren's bizarre golden eyes and the look on his face when he'd told her to take off her clothes. She dreamed about the pulse of power she'd experienced when she fended him off. All of these dreams kept her from really sleeping very well, and when her phone dinged at six am, she was easy to pull from sleep. Foolishly, in her sleepy state, she thought she would see a text from Rose, or maybe from Poe, but there was another message there from 'missing'. Rey read it, carefully:

 _ **No voice divine the storm allay'd,**_

 _ **No light propitious shone;**_

 _ **When, snatch'd from all effectual aid,**_

 _ **We perish'd, each alone:**_

 _ **But I beneath a rougher sea,**_

 _ **And whelm'd in deeper gulfs than he.**_

Rey couldn't work out what they were trying to communicate to her in her state, and she decided instead to turn her phone off completely. She hadn't brought her charger with her, and it would die soon anyway. Ren's phone dinged almost incessantly until she reached over and turned it off as well. Ren wouldn't be able to answer. She wasn't sure he would ever be able to answer at all.

She fell back asleep, unable to keep herself from doing so.

Rey was beginning to keep a more nocturnal pattern. When she woke up, she found that the sun was going down, and she was disappointed that she missed it. She felt safe with the strange cards that Phasma had given them, but in all honesty, she could have just placed a target on them. Still, Rey didn't know why Phasma would help him if she was just intending on pointing an arrow at them.

Rey pulled the curtains back. They were up on the topmost floors, and she could see people laying out on rooftop pools, and then down at the big pool where it seemed most people gathered. She wondered if the water was heated, since it had been so chilly in the previous weeks. She turned to look at Ren. He had shifted himself into a more comfortable position, but she could tell that he might have been uncomfortable in the clothing he was wearing. Maybe she was toying with fire, but she carefully made her way over to him. Phasma had said to use the foul smelling liquid twice a day.

Rey watched him, the slow rise and fall of his chest making it quite obvious he wasn't human. It was so slow, he went for minutes at a time before he would suck in a breath of air, as if it were habit over real need for air. She unbuttoned his ruined dress shirt all the way, pulling it from his trousers. She balled it up and tossed it into the trashcan, sure that there would be no saving it. She looked at his wound, finding that it seemed a good deal more "human" than it had before, lacking in the strange quality it had when he'd showed up. There was pink scar tissue, healing quietly while he slept.

Rey pulled out the jar of drops, dripping them into the wound on his face. It twisted his brow and marred the side of his face. It picked back up like a forgotten trail at his chest. The drops didn't seem to cause him any pain, but Rey noted that they acted like super glue, bringing the flesh together. It was as if the drops were helping the vampiric flesh heal where it couldn't.

While Ren slept, he looked almost boyish. She reached up, brushing his dark hair away from his brow. Her fingertips brushed the slope of his nose before tracing the line of his lips. He didn't stir. She felt a bit devious, and wondered what it would be like to let her fingers drift down the rest of him, but she kept herself from doing so. She tugged his shiny dress shoes off and lifted the down blanket, draping it over him and hoping that it would keep him warm enough.

Rey needed to get a charger for her phone. And perhaps his. She needed to email her professors and tell Poe that she would be missing classes for a few days. She wondered if she should feign some sort of illness. She considered leaving him there, but it felt wrong when he was completely defenseless. She stopped at the desk and asked if there was a store, and of course, there was. It was over priced, but she had Ren's credit card. She bought a multi-use charger that looked like it would fall apart after a few uses, but it would suffice for now.

She bought Ren a new shirt, though all she could find were beachy, touristy shirts that she was sure he had never worn. She also bought herself a swim suit, since she thought it seemed like a good idea to leave the room sometimes. She would get dreadfully bored, and she would probably also get cabin fever.

She found her way back up to the room with her purchases in hand, unlocking the door with the card key. Ren was still in the same position, but as the sun had mostly gone down, she opened the curtains to reveal the full scope of the city lights below, down in the valley. It was beautiful, and it somehow made everything seem so far away. The room was huge. She hadn't realized it before, but it had an entire sitting room decorated with champagne colors and warm tones. There was a full kitchen, and a mini fridge stocked with water and snacks. The bath tub was also huge, and it had jets. There was a separate shower with more than one shower head, and Rey was sure that an entire team of people could fit into it.

Rey began looking around in the fridge before she decided to pick up the room phone and order room service. Everything on the menu was far more expensive than what she was interested it, but she finally found a chicken sandwich that seemed reasonable and not as rich. She took a moment to plug her phone in, turning it on and checking her messages. She sent one to Poe, letting him know she would be out. He promised her he'd catch her up and hoped that everything would clear up.

She heard something shift in the bedroom, and turned around to find a shirtless, barefooted Ren standing behind her. He still wore his tailored pants and his expensive belt, both of which hung low on his hips. She gasped in surprise, stepping back a bit.

"You scared me," She said.

He looked hungry, and she realized she recognized the look. He took a few steps towards her and, thankfully for her, the room service she'd ordered came. His advance was disrupted by the knock on the door. They both looked, and when Rey looked back, he was gone.

"Ren?" She asked, thinking that he had gone back into the bedroom, but after doing a sweep of the apartment, she realized he was completely and totally gone.

She realized that she'd just unleashed a hungry, injured vampire on an unsuspecting hotel staff. When she opened the door for the room service, she was a bit shaky. The waitress was friendly, and Rey realized she didn't have any cash to tip her with. She frowned, apologizing, but her mind was on bigger things. She took the food in hand and found she wasn't hungry anymore. She knew it was unlikely she would be able to follow Ren, he was too fast... almost invisible when he wanted to be.

Rey sat down, wondering if she should leave him there. She was honestly concerned that he might hurt her, but she didn't know if there was some part of him that would stop himself from doing so. She hoped that there was, but having dealt with him while he was hungry was an entirely different experience. Rey realized she didn't feel as helpless as she had before. She wasn't sure how to call up the strange new power, but she was sure that if she needed to again, she'd find a way.

She hoped that Ren would be able to stop himself from killing anyone, otherwise their stay at this hotel might be cut tragically short. Rey kept herself to the living room, watching Ren's phone blink with lights. She was curious to see who was contacting him, but she wasn't exactly sure she wanted to know what he was doing.

She thought that with his job, it was unlikely it would go unnoticed that he was missing. She kept all of the lights on in some idea that it might keep her safer. She tugged a pillow off of the plush couch and sat in silence with it clutched against her chest. For one moment she looked down, and when she looked back up again, and he was standing there as if he'd never gone anywhere at all. He was splashed with blood, and Rey had the sinking feeling that whoever had been the source of it likely hadn't survived. His lips were stained red, and she could see where he'd lazily tried to wipe the blood away from his midsection.

Rey leaned back into the couch, having the distinct feeling that she should leave, but she was frozen in place. She had seen how fast he was.

It hit her full force, seeing his pale frame splashed with blood and his eyes glowing that strange, preternatural gold. He was nothing but a monster. He had been right. Something in her changed, however. She realized that she had nothing to fear from him. She stood up, coming to a pause in front of him. She reached up, pushing his hair out of his face, her fingertips carefully tracing the ridges of the wound that was now a scar. She wondered if it would ever go away. He leaned into her touch, his eyes dropping closed as her fingertips worked their way down to his chest.

Rey was sure that he belonged to her. It was not the other way around.

* * *

 _ **you guys, these two have so many problems. so many. guest starring phasma. and shirtless kylo ren splashed with blood.**_

 _ **who called the witch stuff? or did i just come at you out of left field like a spider monkey?**_

 _ **bit of poetry is from william cowper's 'the castaway'**_


	13. Too much of me, too little of you

"What happened?" She asked, her hands still on his features, her fingertips now stained with blood. "What happened to cause this?" She let her fingertips briefly touch the scar, though he kept his eyes down towards the ground.

He seemed less dangerous when she had her hands on him.

"Hunters," He said quietly. "They were looking for you," He admitted.

"Me?" She asked, surprised at the sentiment. "What for?"

He didn't respond, but did nod slowly in answer to her first question. He didn't speak again. Rey ran her fingertips back through his dark hair, pulling it away from his temples in an attempt to bring his gaze up. She felt his fingertips grasping for her wrists, ringing circles around them.

"Witch," He whispered, his tone quiet and harsh. It was as if he had almost forgotten how to speak.

Rey might have been hurt at the way he said it, but she had heard much the same sentiment from Phasma. Her brow dropped in confusion, searching his features for more explanation where there was none.

"Me?" She asked, her tone just as quiet. He nodded again, taking a step towards her.

Even though it was obvious he had fed, she felt the thrumming hunger pulsing off of him as he came nearer. She wasn't fearful of his closeness, she was instead drawn in by the strangeness of his eyes and the slight red tint that colored his mouth. She should have been repulsed, but he held her in sway like a snake. It seemed that his hunger for her had increased two-fold, even if he had called her a 'witch' as if it was a curse word. Was it power, calling out to power?

"I wondered at it," He said softly, pressing his forehead against hers. "My blood, calling out for yours," He said.

Rey wasn't sure she knew what he was talking about, but it seemed to make utter sense to him. Could it be that he was speaking of her strange bout of power? She had to admit, she was curious at it herself.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, leaning back just a bit to get a look at his face. It was open, no longer impassable. He was hopeful, but about what she couldn't tell.

"You," He said. "If it wasn't the job that would have brought us together, something surely would have,"

"Ren, you're speaking in riddles," She said. "Tell me what you mean,"

She watched as he bared his long, gleaming fangs. It was unexpected, and it frightened her. She gave a gasp as he drew forward so quickly she was unsure she would be able to stop him. She pushed out with all of the energy that she could muster, as if she could pluck him out of the sky and set him back down somewhere else. She heard him grunt, and then she heard the rattle of him going backwards into one of the tables that held a lamp. It crashed to the floor, creating detritus and causing the lightbulb to flicker out with the damage.

He didn't keep his balance, and he was sprawled across the floor, looking at her as he wiped blood from his mouth. His eyes were glowing so fiercely that they looked as if they were melting into his features. Then, he started to laugh. It wasn't the mad laugh he was expecting, but a deep chuckle that resonated underneath her skin, causing goosebumps to rise to the surface.

"I can't hurt you," He mumbled. "You're a witch,"

"I'm not a witch," She said, her voice exasperated and frightened.

"Yes you are," He insisted, moving to right himself. She took a careful step back. He verged from affectionate to mad in a moment's notice, but she realized that he was testing her. "Isn't there something you've always had, coiled in you, that you couldn't define or reach? My blood must've woken it up. We're linked, you and I,"

"What are you talking about?" She asked, her voice firm.

"Vampires wiped out witches a good number of years ago," Ren said. "That's why they were keeping you in that house. That's why you lived,"

"Wiped out?"

"Killed, eradicated," He continued on. "You cursed us to serve you, and we wiped you out," He drew forward. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, or feeling.

"Ren, I had nothing to do with that, and neither did you," She couldn't have known how long ago it had happened, but she assumed it must have been a long time ago.

"Oh? Are you so sure?" He looked devious, then, and he took another careful step forward.

"I'm tired of fending you off," She said, her tones fierce, coming up out of her like vomit.

"I'm insane to have missed it," He admitted. "The sleeping ancient is you,"

"You think it's me they wanted to wake up?" She asked, incredulous. "I think that's insane," She admitted. "What are you going to do, kill me?"

"I can't kill you," He said. "Killing you would mean killing me," He swayed a bit, the influence of his hunger fading. "The blood rite is already complete,"

Rey thought back to when she'd been forced to ingest his blood. She thought back to when he'd taken hers. They had already been linked, but now the bond went both ways. She could feel him there, spectral being that he was, pulsing with a bevy of emotions that changed and morphed with each passing second. All she had to do was reach out for him, gathering all of that strange life force within her, and he was there. The connection went both ways. When she reached out, so did he, and she was hit with the full force of his consciousness, all of his thoughts drifting in line with her pulse. The most overriding sensation was want, his want for her, his want for blood. It was nearly overwhelming, and she wondered how he lived with it.

If she had to chose one word to describe Kylo Ren, it would have been hunger.

He hungered for a world he no longer freely inhabited, hungered for blood, and underneath it all, there was a distinct hunger to be human again. He wasn't shocked at her intrusion, she found. He let her peer into him, and he looked back. There would be no escaping this now, not until either one or both of them were dead. She was to be connected to Kylo Ren for the rest of her life.

"What do they want from me?"

"I don't know," He admitted, honestly.

She believed him.

* * *

They stood there in silence, trying to allow some of the tension to dispel between them. It seemed fruitless, both of them were helpless to it's pull. Maybe it came with the connection they now shared, or the revelation he'd just revealed, but Rey found herself fighting the draw she felt to him. Monstrous, lovely Kylo Ren, who's eyes were deep wells of history and suffering. He was splattered in blood, and yet, when she sought repulsion in herself she came up with nothing.

Finally, she took a difficult step back, trying to shake off the mood that had settled over the room.

He took one step towards her, as if he was worried she might disappear into nothing at all, consumed totally by whatever it was that was happening.

"We have to go," Ren suddenly said. "We can't stay here any longer,"

"Why, because you've killed someone?"

"No," He said simply. "Phasma's magic is running down, and they'll be looking for both of us now,"

"Who is 'they'?"

"The hunters, and whoever hired them,"

"You don't think it was one of your vampire friends?"

"It's not impossible, but I don't have any evidence as to who,"

"What about Amalia? She didn't look like the type of person who likes to be thwarted. Could she be behind all of this?"

"I doubt it, her planning skills leave something to be desired. She couldn't think this far ahead, let into the next morning,"

"Ren, where can we go where they won't find us?"

"Put the necklace back on," He demanded. "It will keep you hidden for a time,"

"For a time? It's me they've alerted to?"

"Now that you're awake, it will be like a beacon,"

Rey thought that this situation grew more and more hopeless by the minute, but she watched Ren stand tall, straight, and without fear, and she realized she had to borrow some of his fearlessness.

"You should rinse off," She said. "You can't go out covered in blood,"

"Can't I?" He had picked up on her discomfort, and she could tell by the look on his face that he wanted to tease her.

"Ren, if you leave me, won't it clear your name?"

"I'm not doing that," He said, firmly. "Don't ask me to do it,"

"But why not? You don't have to be involved in all of this,"

Suddenly, he was very close to her. She could feel the chill of his breath, the nearness of his tall frame. She felt like melting, and letting him clear up the mess. She wanted to lose her cool, cry, carry on, and generally act like a fool, but something in her wouldn't allow it.

"I'm already involved in this," He said, his voice a deep, un-embellished sound. "I can't walk away, any more than you can, so please stop threatening it,"

She wanted to argue with him, and normally, she would have. But she was beginning to realize the scope of this, and she knew that she appeared to be one of it's players. She couldn't explain away a vampire, or her newfound power, or the things she'd seen since meeting him. There would be no pretending, and no going back to her normal life.

Especially not without him.

When they kissed it was like they were taking a breath of air - even if the action was exactly the opposite of that. Rey lost all sense of the world around her, her frame sort of crumpling against his as he pulled her. She wanted to stay there, like that, placed firmly in that moment. It would be over too soon. They kissed breathlessly, as if they had mountains of emotions to express to one another but a short time to do it in. His fingers were in her hair, her hands were on his shoulders, pulling tightly around his neck to keep him there for just a split second longer.

She thought that maybe the scope of his longing wasn't limited to just him.

The moment was over too soon, as they both heard someone rattling at the door. It wasn't a staff member, a staff member would have knocked and said something. Whoever was on the other side of that door had the intention of getting in without being permitted. Ben pulled back from her, his eyes on the door as the thing wiggled. It was a card reader, but they could both see the door knob being rattled until it became obvious that someone had just knocked the door knob completely off of the door.

"Find a place to hide," He whispered.

"No," She said, firmly.

He rolled his eyes, but they didn't have time to argue. Both of them crept backwards, into the bedroom. Ren, splashed with blood, and Rey who wasn't sure how she would defend against another vampire. She hoped when the time came she would be able to call it up as quickly as she had when dealing with Ren. They listened, and Rey could see the intruder by way of peeking her head out in the dark. He was horrific, looking more like a bat than a man. She had to stop herself from gasping out loud. He had pointed, checked ears, as if someone had taken bites out of them. They were pierced with rusty metal, as if he had just found rings laying around and decided to stick them into his ears.

His face was a bulbous mass of scars and modifications, and he wore what looked like old bondage gear. A true horror, but Rey wasn't sure how he'd gotten up here without being noticed. She supposed there were ways. He began to call out to them, as if they were bad children, clicking his tongue in a mouth that was too full of sharp teeth. A vampire, but not like Ren, who could easily blend in with the humanity around him.

Ren didn't give the creature much time to settle. They moved too quickly for her human eye to really see, but when she caught glimpses it often seemed like Ren did not have the upper hand. She waited, unsure of how to act until she saw that the man had Ren pinned against the floor, his pointed fingertips driving into Ren's throat. Ren was being choked, though Rey wasn't sure if he was losing consciousness or not. Rey, unable to help herself, shouted his name.

"Didn't have to be this way," The bat-like man said in a squirrely voice, a grin breaking horribly out onto his face.

Rey watched him move in a stop-gap way, off of Ren and in her direction. He was mumbling to her, sweet words meant to console her. She heard a few 'witchy, witchy's', and he assured her he wouldn't harm her, he just had to take her back to his 'master'. She reached out for Ren, and something unexpected happened. He drew strength from her, regaining his abilities quickly, despite having nearly been unconscious. He moved with her wishes, with her intention. In that moment, he was her beast. His eyes glowed that same feral gold, and around him was a hazy black cloud, as if he tore holes in the fabric of the plane itself.

It was the Ren she had seen when he'd saved her.

He moved in a brutally fast way, his blackened hand digging it's way all the way into the other vampire's chest. He punched a hole straight through, splattering Rey with all of the black, inky gore that she had come to associate with vampire innards. She squinted her eyes and turned her face away, trying to protect herself from the spray. The utter shock on the creature's face was enough to make Rey feel a bit sorry for him. He slumped forward, falling heavily into the floor. Rey wasn't sure he was dead, but it had been enough to stop him for a time.

"We have to go," Ren said, breathlessly. "There will be more,"

* * *

There hadn't been time to clean themselves off. Ren had put on a shirt that hid some of the mess. She realized what the extent of his powers were when the girl in the gift shop fell asleep, her head giving a loud thump as she fell slumped over at the cashier desk so that they had time to get in and find him a hoodie that would cover his arms and face. He seemed to be having a difficult time returning to his 'human' face, and Rey knew that he couldn't be seen like that. She was also covered in gore, but all she could do is throw her shirt in the trash in favor of a new one.

Ren had a credit card that wasn't in his name. He asked Rey to rent a car with it, something nondescript that would hopefully allow them to move out of the city without any more confrontation. Rey was running on adrenaline, and she refused to allow herself to be scared. She felt the long hand of shock hovering over her, and she knew that now was not the time to give into it.

She didn't know where he would be taking them, and while they drove, she couldn't ask. Finally, he turned to her and asked her where Luke lived. She was amazed. Was he really planning to take her there? To Luke's? What made him think that it would be helpful at all?

She didn't feel like arguing with him. In all of the hustle, she'd completely lost track of her phone. He didn't appear to have his, either. That meant that her last life line to the normal world was left back in the hotel, and she wasn't sure who's hands it had fallen into then. Still, when she looked at his profile in the moonlight, she found her thoughts drifting away as if there was nothing to worry about at all. Of course, he knew she was looking at him. It would be rare that they would ever be able to hide anything from one another again.

He reached out, trying to keep his eyes on the road. His knuckles brushed her dirty face, thumb tip smudging away some of the dark matter that had landed on the apple of her usually rosy cheeks. It was a moment that was so normal, Rey could almost forget that they were covered in monster blood, running for their lives. She could not forget the strange, preternatural glow in Kylo's eyes, however. Nor could she forget the strange power bubbling up inside of her.

She fell asleep during the ride. The movement of the car soothed her into it, and she was taken over by images of blood and darkness. She didn't know how long she was sleeping before she woke up, finding the window was cold and she had an uncomfortable crick in her neck. She looked at Kylo, who looked back at her.

"You were having a nightmare," He said, matter-of-factly.

"I know," She responded, looking at him with a small smirk, even if she felt so bereft.

They found Luke's ranch after some difficulty. Rey realized she had a hard time remembering what turns to take, but eventually after some back tracking they found it. Rey was a bit startled to find him standing, out in front of the house. He was holding a shot-gun up, as if he was trying to defend against something. She couldn't have known that that something would be them.

It was dark, but the lights on the car gave her a direct view of him before Ren switched them off. They both got out of the car, and Luke leveled the shot gun at Ren.

"I forgave you when you brought those shadow creatures here," He said, his voice booming out and causing some of the dogs in the kennels to howl. "I won't forgive you for bringing that here," Luke motioned the gun, causing them both to grab onto each other out of surprise. Lion sat quietly behind him, regarding the whole thing as if it were a play.

"Luke, he's a friend,"

Luke laughed.

"You can't be friends with a vampire,"

"What? How did you know that?"

Luke didn't reply, only began to steady his aim.

"Please!" Rey shouted, coming to stand in front of the vampire foolishly. If he took a hit, he had much more a chance of surviving than she did.

Luke held his position for what felt like forever. Eventually, he dropped the gun with a grunt. Lion came out from behind him, ambling jovially up to Rey. She leaned down, keeping her eyes on Luke in case he decided to shoot Ren again. She gave Lion a pat on the head. The dog didn't seem to know, nor care, what Ren was. He nosed the vampire's hand - expecting pats all the same.

Luke turned around and went inside, though he left the door ajar. He obviously intended to be followed, or so Rey thought.

"Maybe I should stay here," Ren said, carefully.

"Afraid of a little shotgun blast?" She asked, though her heart wasn't in the jibe.

"I'll come and get you," She said, grasping his hand carefully before she followed Luke in.

He was sitting at his kitchen table, looking as salty as ever. She knew he was angry with her, but she was so confused at his apparent knowledge. What else had he been hiding from her?

"You know that vampires exist, then?" She asked, standing in the doorway.

"Yup," Luke said, taking a sip of tea. "Smelled it on you last time you came here,"

"Smelled it on me?" Rey asked, curious about what he meant.

"Yup," Though he didn't give her any more information. "Might as well have him come in, you both smell like you've been through a war,"

Rey was tossed off with promises that he would explain later, though if she knew Luke at all, she was sure he wouldn't. There was more than one room available to them, but Luke showed them up to the room Rey had been keeping when she'd been there before. Ren and Luke sized each other up, and finally, after tossing some towels and some fresh clothing at them, he slammed the door behind them. Rey almost expected that he would lock it, and she was glad to find he didn't.

Rey stood there, staring at the now closed door. She was sure a few hours before that nothing else could surprise her, until Ren turned and looked at her. The words coming out of his mouth sounded like some other language, and she had to work them over a few times in her head before she got their meaning:

"Your friend is a werewolf," Ren said, looking as if he'd smelled something bad.

Rey sat down very slowly on the bed, the towels in her hands falling out and landing on the floor with a quiet 'fwump'.

"You've got to be kidding," She replied, after a few long moments.

"He's got a whole commune of them out here, I can smell them,"

"The dogs?"

"No, something else," He admitted. "It's a good place to be when you're being tracked by vampires and hunters,"

"Unless he changes his mind and decides to kill you,"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," He said, reaching down to retrieve the towels. "Ladies first," He motioned towards the bathroom, as if they were in the most normal situation in the world.

Rey took the towel, though she was still mulling over the information. While she sat on the bed, she lifted the bloody clothes off of her, leaving her clad in only a simple white bra. Ren looked at her, boldly, before she stood up and made her way into the bathroom. She slid out of her pants, standing there in the open doorway in her underwear. Ren was looking rather intently at the ground, though she could tell he would much rather be looking at her. Finally, to give him some respite, she turned to close the door.

She didn't know what was more insane, that all of this was happening, or that Ren's logic made sense. A compound full of werewolves would be the last place that they would be looking for a vampire, right?

"Right," Ren said through the door, and she realized he could hear everything she was thinking.

"Is there a way to turn this off?" She asked, pressing her hand to the door.

She was met with only silence.

* * *

 **ok y'all, ngl this chapter feels better for the story overall, so to those of you who read the first version, apologies! i'll be better about editing before i post something, but i may still miss some stuff.**

 **anyway luke is a werewolf y'all. so you can forgive me for the crummy chapter, RIGHT**

 **i really wanted to work han and leia in but it just doesn't seem right for this particular story so am sorry to disappoint but thanks still for your continued support through my self doubt**


	14. Blood Connection

Rey was thankful for the hot water. She turned it on as hot as it would go, though even burning her first layer of flesh off wasn't going to change the events of the past few weeks. She stood for a long time, trying to chase the cold away from her fingers and toes. She cried, quietly, and when she was able to get herself together, she washed her face free of tears and finally turned the water off. She realized at that point that she had likely used up all of the hot water.

She reached for the towel, wrapping it around her frame and tying it up at her chest. She looked at herself in the mirror and thought that she didn't even resemble herself, but there was something fierce and sparkling about her eyes. It scared her, it was so unfamiliar. She'd become determined to outlive this, as it was the only option she could think of. Dying did not currently sit on her list of options. She brushed her teeth with the toothbrush she'd borrowed last time she was here, and opened the door.

The room was warmer than she was expecting. Ren had turned on the space heater, even though she knew it would drive Luke crazy to know he was using up power. It didn't seem to matter to him, they might have been an equal match. He glanced at her as she came out, barefooted and in a towel. His eyes had returned to their normal color, but he was still splashed with the gore of the evening. He stood up, and she watched him slide out of his clothing. She eyeballed the long line of his torso, turning to sneak a peek before he shut the bathroom door.

Finally, she felt dry enough to drop the towel, moving to pull on the clothes that Luke had tossed at them before he'd slammed the door. She didn't realize Ren had opened the door, and was standing behind her until she felt the puff of his breath stir the damp hairs around her neck. She was about to turn, until she felt his fingertip draw from the base of her spine up. He traced each bone in her spine, sending a thorough chill through her that felt as if it caused goosebumps across her entirely.

It was a simple, brief touch. She felt him pull away, and wondered at it. She carefully pulled her clothes on, watching him return to the bathroom towel-clad and with her towel in hand. She caught a glimpse of his inky black hair, curling at the nape of his neck, before she turned away and placed herself squarely in front of the space heater. She found herself wishing that Ren had continued to touch her, and when he came to sit beside her, she could tell that he knew it. She knew he had wanted to, but the reason why he'd stopped was foggy. Was he learning to hide from her already?

"It's not fair, you can hide from me, but I can't hide from you," She said, drawing her knees up to her chest and tilting her head as she rested it atop them.

"Who says I'm hiding?" He asked curiously.

They examined each other the low light, her eyes drawing along his damp hair and his scarred face. He wasn't any less handsome in her estimation, though the scar did add a bit of danger to his appearance. He reminded her very much of the men she had idolized in novels - but now, she couldn't imagine what she had been thinking in wishing for one. It wasn't that she didn't feel the way she felt, but that her life had been so completely upended by him.

"You should get some rest while you can," He said, standing up.

"I'm not ti-"

Rey hardly got a chance to respond before she found he had hoisted her up off of the floor. She gave a surprised noise before she found herself placed on the bed. She was about to argue, but she realized that she was exhausted once her head hit the pillow. She fell asleep almost immediately, despite fighting it.

When she woke up a few hours later, the room was dark. Ren had turned off the space heater, and a chilly pall had settled over the room. Rey briefly wished that it was summer, or at least spring. She was tired of the cold. She looked to find Ren stretched out beside her. The sweats Luke had loaned him hit him at his calves, too short by about half. The shirt rode up on his abdomen, revealing his flat belly corded through with muscles. She knew he wasn't sleeping, but his eyes were closed and he was far away.

She curiously reached out and let her chilly fingertips drift along the exposed flesh. He wasn't warm, but he wasn't exactly cold either. She heard him suck in a deep breath of air and she realized he wasn't so far away anymore. She moved without much thought, shifting out of her curled up position and sliding into his lap. If he was surprised by it, he didn't show as much.

It happened quickly. They were kissing, a fumble of lips and mouths and tongues. She rolled her hips down on his middle, enjoying the rasping gasp of surprise that escaped him. She was sure she had never wanted anything so badly in her life. His hands were in her hair, and before long they had worked their way down, underneath the warmed sweat shirt she'd thrown on after her shower. His hands nearly encompassed her, and she felt them warm up the more he touched her.

When he pulled back from her lips, his hand placed on her jawline, her eyes fluttered open. She saw those familiar red pinpricks, and she wondered if they were some signal of arousal. He looked fierce, and he pressed kisses along her jawline and neck before he pulled back, his mouth moving. It took her a moment to realize he was speaking to her.

"Are you sure?" He whispered, his tones rough.

She nodded, her mouth seeking out his in a flurry. She pulled those sweats down over his hips, her fingertips reaching for his (rather obvious) erection. She stroked the base of it, causing him to release another slight gasp, her thumb-tip curiously brushing the underside of the head. He gave another pleased noise, and she was sure she sensed surprise there. Perhaps he hadn't expected her to be so forthright.

He leaned up, and she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her frame more tightly against his. He returned the favor, pulling her clothes as far off of her as he might without causing her to freeze, though her skin felt so hot she had forgotten about the chill that was constantly there. Suddenly, they were in sync (perhaps for the first time), and he was inside of her. The quick motion caused Rey to gasp aloud, though she had to sink her teeth into her bottom lip to try and quiet herself.

Her breath hitched as she settled atop him. There was something in him that was holding back, but she could feel the sharp edge of hunger resting there beneath the surface. They began to move in tandem with each other, though at first the motions were unbelievably slow. His hands slid into her hair, along her neck. He gave her a few soft kisses, and their foreheads came to press together as they looked at one another. She could see the faint tip of his fangs, and instead of fearing the sight, she found the aching throb of arousal became more potent.

He shifted her, pushing her back into the sheets before she felt him sink within her again. She released another breathy moan, her fingertips grasping the sheets beneath her. He watched her carefully, testing each movement he made for reaction until she was begging him to move faster. She clung to him as if he might disappear, and he began to pick a more punishing pace that made it difficult for her to keep her mouth shut. He only seemed to become more focused as she became more fuzzy, the overwhelming sensations threatening to take her over completely.

When the motions reached a fever pitch, her hands grasped onto him, digging into his flesh. She barely saw him reveal his fangs, and even if she had, she wouldn't have stopped him. He sunk his sharp teeth into the soft flesh of her neck, and the movement caused her to release a shuddering moan as she came. He didn't draw much of her blood, and when he pulled his mouth away from her she found it placed on her own, a feeble attempt to quiet her down. She tasted copper on his lips and released a hot breath of air as the moment finally rolled through to it's end. She fell herself go limp against the bed, her chest heaving in an attempt to regain breath.

They stayed connected for a few more moments, before he left her, causing her to release one more slight gasp. He settled down beside her, and she felt his weight shift the bed. She leaned into him, finding the breadth of his chest comforting. He ran his hand along the curve of her bicep, taking a moment to brush her hair out of her face.

"You really are quite surprising," He said, his voice husky from the activity.

"One of us had to do it," She teased, thinking about the weeks of tension. She was happy to feel some relief from it, despite all of the other horrible things that were happening.

"I always expected it would be me," He teased back, and she saw him smile.

"I probably would have argued that fact with you,"

He laughed.

"Yes," He replied simply.

They were silent after that, breathing quietly together (even if his breath was much slower than hers). Once the heat of the moment fell away, Rey found she was cold. Ren wrapped the blanket around her, and without meaning to, she fell asleep again. She had more she wanted to tell him, but her human sensibilities got the better of her.

* * *

When she woke up, Ren was gone.

At first, she thought he had disappeared to find a place to hide out during the day, though the room could remain dark enough to serve that purpose. He hadn't left behind any note, which gave her a feeling of foreboding. He'd also left the car and the few belongings he'd brought with him behind. Rey realized she might have been abandoned here, but she remembered what Ren had said. He asked her to stop telling him to leave her. Why drag her all this way and then leave her? Why do what they did together only to abandon her? When she came downstairs, Luke and Lion were sitting in the kitchen having breakfast.

"Have you seen Ren?"

"Nope," Luke said. "No sign of him. Can't even smell him," Luke looked at her over his coffee cup with a look that seemed to say: told you so.

She thought he might show back up when the sun fell, but there was no sign of him.

Rey felt his absence terribly, her heart ached and her mind felt strangely empty. She was angry at the thought that he had abandoned her, and more concerned than she thought she could be. She reached out for him, out in all of that great darkness, but all she got back in return was echo and silence. She began to realize something was masking him from her, though she couldn't suss out whether or not it was him or something else. She didn't have her phone, and she knew he didn't have his, so she couldn't even try to call him. She couldn't remember his number, and eventually she went downstairs to try Luke's old rotary phone. She dialed information and asked for the number to SoloTech. When she was connected there, it simply rang and rang before disconnecting. The second time she called, it didn't even ring at all.

She went to bed feeling uneasy, and slept fitfully. He came to her in her dreams. He was moving his mouth but she couldn't make out what he was saying. He was splashed with red, his face un-scarred, dressed the way he had been when she had first met him. She tried calling his name, but the only thing she was met with was frustration that she could not make out what he was saying. The look on his face made it clear he was trying to warn her, but the words did not come out.

In the morning, she came down to find Luke on the phone. Once he realized she was there, he handed it off to her without so much as a warning.

"Hello?"

"Rey?" The man on the other end questioned. She recognized his voice, but couldn't place it. "It's Rose's dad,"

"Oh, hi Phil," She said, surprised that he had found her here. "How did you know I was here?"

"I called your foster parents when I couldn't get you to answer your cell phone," He said, his voice betraying concern. She thought at first it was concern for her.

"I'm sorry, I lost my phone," She admitted. "Is everything alright?"

"I was hoping to find you in the city," He said, quietly. "A few nights ago, Rose left. We haven't heard from her since," He sighed. "I was hoping you might know where she was, I haven't been able to get her to answer her phone,"

Rey's stomach dropped, and she felt panic rise up to the back of her throat. It wasn't like Rose not to answer her phone. She even talked to telemarketers.

"I don't know where she is..." Rey said. "I haven't had my phone for a few days," She admitted.

"Do you know where she might have gone?"

"I don't, I'm sorry. I hadn't heard from her in a few days,"

"Rey, do you think you would be willing to meet me in the city? Help me look for her? You might know some of the places she would go,"

"Okay, I can do that,"

Rey realized what she was agreeing to. She realized that she was in danger, but when she realized that it might have spread to Rose, she couldn't bear the thought of not trying to do something.

"Something's wrong," She said, looking and expecting to find Luke standing there. She was surprised to find Luke, Poe, and Finn standing there. "W-what are you two doing here?"

"I called them," Luke said.

"Why?"

"Bit of a coincidence," Finn said, firmly. "Luke and I are old friends. He asked us to look out for you at school. Didn't know you'd gotten involved with a vampire, though," Finn said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What, you two are werewolves too?"

"Just me," Finn said, raising his hand. "Poe's a regular old squishy human, like you,"

"Lucky us, huh," Poe said, giving her a handsome smile. "I didn't know until recently, if that makes you feel any better,"

"It does," She said, wondering how many more curve balls Luke was going to throw at her. "Rose is missing," She finally said.

"Rose?" Finn asked.

"My best friend," She said. "Her dad can't get a hold of her. Ren is missing, too,"

"Ren might have taken off when he realized what he'd gotten himself into. Vampires are like that," Finn said.

"He wouldn't have left me here without telling me why," She said, firmly.

"You don't kno-" Luke started.

"No," Rey responded, firmly. "Something is wrong,"

"Well, the shadows that come at night have been gathering," He admitted. "Something is going on, I just haven't been able to figure out what it is. Started the night you showed up. Almost like they're waiting for something,"

"I have to go back into the city and find Rose," She said, moving to go upstairs.

"Do you think that's a good idea? Parasite brought you out here for a reason," Luke said, picking his teeth.

"Don't call him that," Rey said, realizing she was defending Ren. "I have to go find Rose," She said again, and she realized nothing would stop her from this. She would take the car and she would go. She had to admit, there was a small hope she might find Ren, too, and hit him in the face when she did.

"We'll go with you," Finn said.

"No, that's not necessary,"

"Yeah it is," Poe said. "You don't know what you're dealing with at all,"

It was true, though she wished it weren't.

The drive out to Luke's farm felt fruitless. The drive back to the city felt a bit ridiculous. Rey let Poe drive, and that meant Finn sat up front. Her and Luke sat in the back, Luke with a huge shotgun placed over his lap. If they got pulled over, they were going to have a hell of a time explaining that one. Lion sat in between them, as none of them had been able to talk Luke out of bringing the geriatric dog with them. If they did have to face off against vampires, Rey hoped that Lion wouldn't have to be involved. He was too old.

The trip was awkward and silent. Rey would've been lying if she told herself that she wasn't mad at her mentor. She was mad at him, and she wondered, really, how much about all of this he'd known. Had he been as clueless as he'd claimed to be? She couldn't imagine that he had been, considering what he was. Poe and Finn's presence bolstered her a bit, though her mind raced, worrying for Rose. She hoped it was nothing serious. She had brought with her Ren's billfold, containing the one credit card he'd brought with him and a picture of a woman that she didn't recognize. She realized that she and Ren had the same brown eyes.

They stopped at her apartment first. Finn followed her, Luke and Poe opting to stay in the rental car. He had his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his bomber jacket, but she could tell by the line of his back that he had noticed something. When she punched in the code on the door, she realized that the keypad was completely black. Finn reached out and pushed the door open, and she realized someone had just used brute force. She pushed it open, looking to find that her apartment had been completely trashed. Her computer was upended, the screen cracked. Her dishes had been broken, the sheets on her futon had been ripped. Everything was destroyed.

Rey stood, her mouth agape, looking at the damage. She retrieved her broken laptop, trying to turn it on. It was beyond repair. She thought that they could go to the hotel, and try to retrieve her phone, but it was unlikely that it hadn't been thrown out. Ren wasn't there, obviously. Neither was Rose. No sign that either of them had been there, only the wreckage.

"What next?"

"I don't know," She said. "My phone is probably gone. I remember her number, but her dad said she wasn't answering,"

"You want to try mine?" He handed it to her.

She dialed the number and listened to it ring. Eventually, her voicemail picked up. Rey left a short message, begging for Rose to call her. They stood there for a few more moments before they went back to the car. Luke and Lion stared at them from the backseat, looking irritated that they were up past their bedtime. They got back into the car, and idled while Rey tried to decide what to do. She thought about SoloTech, but she couldn't imagine going there again. Then, Phasma crossed her mind.

"I know someone who might be able to help us,"

Phasma's place was dark. Again, Rey worried she might not be there. She told the others to wait, as she wasn't sure that the woman would even help her, considering how testy she'd been the first time. She seemed to owe Ren a debt of some kind, and maybe she now considered it paid. Rey began by knocking on the door, which was met with no reply. After a few moments of knocking and calling her name, Rey saw a light flick on.

Phasma's presence was always startling. She was so tall and intense that Rey was a bit shocked every time she saw her. She smiled as hopefully as she could manage, but she knew it didn't bleed into the concern that probably showed in her eyes.

"Oh no," She said. "What are you doing here?"

"I need your help," Rey said. "Ren is missing, and I need help finding him," Rey didn't mention Rose, but she had a suspicion that if she found Ren, she would find Rose...especially if she had managed to get her caught up in this whole mess.

"You've got all kinds of strange friends, don't you?" Phasma said, looking out to the car. Rey read something in her eyes that was unusual, but it was gone too quickly for her to process. "Come in,"

Rey glanced back at the car, holding up her hand to tell them to stay where they were. She could see that none of them were happy with this decision, except for maybe Lion, who wagged his tail a few times before laying down in the back seat. Rey stood awkwardly in the parlor of this strange little shop as Phasma moved around, gathering up things that Rey assumed would be used to help her find Ren.

"Have a seat," Phasma pointed to a table that was covered in a deep red cloth.

Rey waited, quietly. She wanted to look to see what Phasma was doing, but her attention was drawn by the many strange objects she had. She realized that, pushed behind other bottles, she had a small bottle full of fangs. Rey wondered with a slight shudder if they were animal fangs, or something else entirely. Phasma sat down in front of her with a few items in hand, and she reached out for something. Rey stared at her helplessly.

"I need something of his," Rey thought to panic, she didn't have anything - until she realized she had his billfold. She handed it over to Phasma.

Phasma took the picture out of the billfold, and set it on the table, handing the wallet back to Rey. It was almost as if she had known it would be in there. Rey watched as she took the items out of their respective jars, piling them together in a small little cauldron. Rey was so transfixed that she hadn't taken note of what it was that Phasma was putting into the pot. She wasn't sure she would have known, anyway, even if she was taking note.

She watched as Phasma dropped the photo into the mixture. Rey was too late to stop her, and she hoped that Ren had copies of it. She felt so guilty that she didn't realize the faint haze of smoke rising from the pot. She thought it had something to do with finding Ren, so at first it was easy to ignore that she had begun to feel a bit woozy. She swayed in her seat, nearly toppling from it before she managed to catch herself. When she looked at Phasma, the woman was watching her with eyes so blue and flinty that when Rey moved, they seemed to leave behind traces in the smoke.

Finally, she lost her balance and fell to the floor.

Rey realized a moment too late that her first mistake had been in trusting this woman.

* * *

 **are you prepared? cause i'm bout to hurt'cha.**


	15. Good Die Young

Rey woke up with a headache that pierced both of her temples and a taste in her mouth that could only be described as ferocious and nasty. She felt herself being rustled around, as if she was being carried, but she couldn't yet grasp her consciousness fully enough to realize who was carrying her or why. She tried to struggle, but her great effort only came across as a small bit of a squirm. Whoever had her in hand had a firm grip on her, and whatever Phasma had done to her had left her unable to function for the time.

She was in and out of it, the pain in her head making it hard for her to keep her eyes open. She also found she couldn't speak, as it felt like her mouth was full of sand. Finally, she was dumped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, and she felt the pain of it rattle through her shoulder. It didn't dull, and she realized she had probably injured it. She heard his voice before she saw him, a rasping sort of noise that fell on her ears and made her feel sick. She'd heard it before, she realized. In the theater. He was berating whoever had been carrying her.

"You fool!She was meant to come here of her own volition,"

"I'm sorry, lord," The woman said. "I misunderstood your instructions..."

"Misunderstood my instructions?"

Rey turned to try and look at the scene that was unfolding. She was able to get her eyes open far enough to see Phasma's head snap so far back that she might have been able to see her backside before she fell to the ground. There was no longer any life in her, and Rey watched with unease as her body melted away into ash. She had not been human then. Rey groaned, trying to shift herself up. She had no thought, other than that she had to get out of there. Her body was heavy, and it didn't respond to her command, but she was able to begin dragging herself away. The man laughed, bending down into her vision. The man with the caved in face. The man with the rolling, strange eyes.

"Don't you want to stay a moment?" He asked, as if he were hosting a party. "Stay a moment and find out where your precious Ren is? And what of the other girl? What about her? Are you going to leave them both?"

Rey stopped in her movements, the moment he mentioned Rose. She might have thought that Ren could get out of whatever situation he was currently in, until she realized that she was the reason he was in it. Rose, though, she hadn't meant to get Rose involved. She had thought she would be safe, far away at her parents. Apparently she had been wrong.

"Phasma's made sure you won't be walking, for awhile," He said, bending down to drag her upwards by her arms. She let out a cry of pain as he twisted her injured shoulder. "Wouldn't be too surprised if your vision didn't fail completely within a few hours. But I want you to see this, before it does,"

He held her up, though it took her a few moments to realize where she was. It was SoloTech, and they were on the top floor. They were in Ren's office. She saw Ren, recognized him immediately by his dark mop of hair. He was strung up with something that held him firm, and it was burning black marks into his wrists. He didn't appear to be awake. She saw Rose next, bound and gagged. She was awake, her eyes wide with terror and the shock of seeing what should only be seen in fairy-books and stories to tell in the dark books.

"Rose," She managed to fumble out. "Let her go, she doesn't have anything to do with this,"

"Doesn't she?" He dropped her back to the floor, another groan escaping her. "Ragdoll, ragdoll," He laughed out, seeming to enjoy her pain.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, through clenched teeth.

"Thought you might have figured it out," He said. "I'm going to take that power you have, right from your bones," He said, dragging out the last word ominously.

"I don't have any power,"

"Now, now, don't try any of that," He said. "I need what you have, so I will take it," She tried to keep an eye on him as he moved about. There were others, but Rey was too foggy to catalog them. "This is old myth and legend, but it's worth a try. If it doesn't work, at least I'll have rid myself of him," He derisively sneered towards Ren. "I will take his place,"

"His place? Keeping vampires from killing one another? Who are you?"

"Oh noooo," He said. "Didn't he tell you? He's the Prince of this city," He grinned. "I'm just an old relic of an age long gone. You can call me Snoke,"

Rey didn't know what Prince meant in vampire, but she guessed that Ren was responsible for a little more than what he'd said.

"Even a blood hunt can't rip him of that, but by the old way, if someone challenges him and wins, they can take up his place," He picked her up after readying something she couldn't see. He placed it in her hand. It was a blade of some kind. "You have to kill something you love," He said, as if he were teaching math. "Then, I get to kill you,"

"So just kill him," She said. "Why involve Rose in it?"

"It's not that simple," He said. "Blood rite says that the woman he loves must be the one to slay him. He won't die if you don't," He pointed to Rose. "And if you refuse, I will kill her. If you do as I ask, she'll go free," He hemmed. "It's rather fortuitous you two found one another, isn't it? But don't worry, Rey, once you kill him and I kill you, I get to bring you back again,"

"He doesn't love me,"

Snoke laughed.

"You're no good at lying and besides, I can see right through him, our pure-hearted Prince," Snoke looked at Ren. "You've been here before, you know," He said simply. "Star crossed as you are, it's no wonder you always end up killing one another," He sighed. "But without him, you're nothing. And without you, he's much the same,"

At any other time, she might have found it amusing that he had called Ren 'pure hearted', but she was too angry and too scared to see the humor in it. She was confused, but she began to remember the drawings she'd done, and how Ren had told her he had seen her before. Was it possible she'd come back to live another life because of him?

She watched him as he moved over to Rose, pulling a pin out of her strange, leathery bindings. They started to tighten. Snoke looked at her with that awful, mocking pout, and Rey realized she'd never wanted to hit anyone more...except for maybe Ren.

"You're running out of time, now,"

Rey held the strange blade in her hand, and wondered if she should just try attacking Snoke. She could barely use her legs, though, and she doubted that it would end well for anyone. She dragged herself over to Ren as well as she could, and like a wobbly deer, she managed to stand up in front of him. She got a good look at his face, and realized he hadn't been asleep at all. He'd heard the whole conversation. His eyes were muddy black, the faint red pinprick fading in and out each time he looked at her.

She realized she was crying. She reached up, pushing his hair from his face. She knew by the look on his face that he was expecting her to do this. Her face crumpled, and she heard Rose begin to make noises of discomfort. She didn't know how long she had, but she realized it wasn't long enough.

"Just do it, Rey," He said, his deep voice haggard from whatever he'd been through since he'd disappeared.

"I can't," She said, through her tears.

"You have to," He said. "Don't be afraid,"

"There has to be something else we can do,"

"There isn't," He said, simply. "Even if you get me out of here, he'll kill your friend before we manage it. Do it,"

Rey saw by the look on his face that he had come to terms with this, whatever it was. Maybe he had been alive for such a long time that the advent of his death didn't scare him, but she could only feel sorrow. She didn't want him to die, selfishly, she wished she had had more time. She swiped at her tears, trying to call on whatever it was that she'd called on before. She found her gut woefully empty, and her heart aching in such a fierce way that her tears began rolling more quickly down her cheeks.

"In the heart," Snoke said, gleefully. He was waiting with bated breath.

Rey leaned up and kiss his mouth, and he reciprocated as best he could, though she could tell he was in pain. Whether it was his own binds, or something else, she didn't know. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she found she didn't have the words. She didn't need to have them, she heard him whisper into her thoughts.

 _I know, Miss Beckett._

She caught a small smirk on his features, but it was fleeting. It didn't make it any easier when she reached up and sunk the sharp blade into his chest. She let out a sob, and then another, and watched as the black blood ooze down his chest. She felt the irrational need to gather it back up and try to put it back where it belonged, but she knew it was no use. She felt him go, his presence had been so strong that when it began to abate it was hard to ignore. She wished she could reach out and keep him, but after an eternity had passed within only a few seconds, she realized he was gone.

Snoke let out a cheerful noise of glee once the act had been done. He released Rose, as he promised. He told her she was free to leave, but when Rey moved to go along with her, she was stopped. Rose tried to get back to her, but Rey watched helplessly as the thugs lifted her off of the ground and forcibly ejected her from the room. She looked at Snoke, feeling her hate for him gather up in her belly like a snake.

"You said,"

"I said I get to kill you," He repeated. "Silly girl,"

He didn't give her much time to rebut him. He was fast, faster than Ren, and Rey realized with all of her human clumsiness that she would never get away from him. She felt the fangs sink into her neck, and the pain of it gave her a shock. She'd never thought that Ren had been masking the pain, somehow. She went rigid, clawing and scratching. He held her firm, his small frame deceptively strong. Her protests became weaker the more blood he drained, and she became calmer. It was peaceful, almost. She felt herself leave the physical, and she realized she remembered this feeling from the theater.

She thought she might be able to catch up to Ren.

The peace was not to last.

* * *

Rey woke up a long time later in a bathtub.

It was full of cold, dirty water, and someone had just tossed her in there with her clothes on. She was so hungry that she couldn't see straight, her stomach fearsome in it's demands for something...but what? She sat up, finding that her aches and pains were all gone. She wasn't dead. She reached up, testing the spot where Snoke had drained her dry, and found that not even the puncture wounds remained.

It was during this search that she realized she could hear someone breathing. When she listened, she realized she could hear their heart beat thundering away in their chest. Her eyes followed the sound of the noise. It was Rose. Rey could smell the fear rolling off of her. She could smell the food she'd eaten the day before. She could smell her skin.

 _Oh no._

"Rose," Rey said, her voice foreign even to herself. "What happened?"

"I hid," She said. "I saw them carry your boss out," She said. "And then you. They put you in here. You've been asleep for days. I thought you were dead until I realized you were moving,"

"You should have left," She said. Her voice was deeper than she remembered it being.

"Rey, you're my friend, I couldn't leave you here,"

Rey shifted, standing from the tub. She saw Rose flinch, and she knew, instinctually, that something had been fundamentally changed within her. Maybe it was denial, but she couldn't put words to it.

"We have to go," She said. "Your dad was worried sick about you,"

"I called him and told him I was okay, and I'd be home in a few days,"

"We should still leave,"

Rose was injured. Rey could smell the blood on her as surely as she could smell the other scents clinging to her. She wondered at the newfound sensitivity, but she was trying not to think about it. She knew how she had survived, but she wanted to deny it. She remembered that Ren was dead, as her first thought was to ask him...surely he would have known. With a fresh crack to her aching heart, however, she realized she had killed him. For what?

Rey felt the blood calling out, and she brought up all of her stubbornness to ignore it. At least she still had that. They made their way out of the wrecked building, which looked now as if it had seen years of decay and abandonment. The windows were busted, the desks vandalized. It was almost as if Snoke had thrown a party. Maybe he had. Rey was just glad Rose was still alive.

They limped their way out into the street. By a habit she didn't realize she had, she blindly went out into the sun. It would have been a true test, but Rey realized after a few long moments that nothing happened. She didn't curl up in a writhing little ball of pain and dissipate into ash. She reached her arm out into the light, expecting to see her skin burn away. Nothing. She was confused, she had been so sure that she was now what Ren had been. This was a conflicting signal. Rose looked at her curiously, confused at her sudden interest in her arm.

"We should go to the hospital," Rey said, firmly. "And call your father,"

"We have to call the police. He'll want to call the police,"

"And tell them what?"

"I don't know," Rose said. "The truth?"

"Rose," Rey said. "Just tell them what you know. You were abducted,"

"You're not coming with me?"

"I'll come with you to the hospital,"

The night was to prove to be a long one. The hospital was a bad place to be when one was hungry. Rey didn't hang around to be questioned by the police. Once Rose's dad showed up, she managed to sneak out. She left Rose a little note, that she'd call when she could. She went back to SoloTech with the idea that she might find something, anything that might indicate that Ren was still alive. She could find nothing, and each time she reached out for him she felt nothing but a hollow emptiness. She couldn't believe he was gone. And what was she, now?

She couldn't find Snoke. She couldn't understand why he would do this to her after he'd gotten what he wanted.

All of the relics of her human life were destroyed. She went back to her demolished apartment, and wondered what happened to Luke and the others. She showered, put on clothes and boots, and dug out some change from her desk drawer. She gathered anything she might have thought was useful, but most of it had been lost or destroyed. She realized she still had Ren's billfold in her pocket. The thought of it was a wound anew, and as she pulled it out of the dirty sweatpants, she held it delicately, as if the thing would bring him back.

She wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come.

She called Luke from the only payphone she could find that still existed. He didn't answer. She didn't know what she was expecting. Was it possible they were dead too?

Rey realized her emotional responses to everything felt bland. She felt numb, as if a switch had been turned off within her. As if she wasn't really living, but making a mockery of it instead. She knew she had to find out what happened to Luke. She knew she still cared, even if he might turn his back on her now. She took to wandering aimlessly, her feet carrying her in the direction of Ren's apartment. Old habits die hard.

It wasn't before long that she realized she was following someone, a young woman who was on her phone, chatting with someone. She was oblivious to Rey being behind her, and Rey realized she could make it so. She could mask her own presence, and move with such a quiet that she was unsure she even knew herself anymore. She followed her for a few blocks, though when the woman ducked into an empty alley way, Rey moved quickly. Her instincts took over, and would brook no refusal from her. She stunned her, keeping her from moving too quickly before she sunk her fangs into her arm. Fangs.

The blood came rushing out of her, and Rey found it was too fast for her to contain it all. She was not as graceful as Kylo Ren had been. Still, the act of it sated the gnawing hunger in her stomach, and she could no longer doubt what she was. The woman grew weak, and faint, and Rey realized she might have taken too much. She had never seen Kylo Ren kill a human, or feed, but she realized she couldn't kill her. She drew back, almost horrified at what she'd done. The woman stumbled, catching herself against the wall. Rey ran, more quickly than she'd ever run before.

Rey's feet kept on their path to Ren's apartment. She wiped the blood that stained her mouth as best she could, pulling her hoodie up to try and hide the fact that she was bloody. The doorman recognized her, and let her in without much fuss. She took the elevator up. She stood in front of his door for a very long time.

The realization that he wasn't in there was a hard one for her to swallow. Finally, she tried the knob. It opened, as if he was inside, as if he was home. She hoped that she would find him there, but her hopes came crashing when she found that the apartment was empty. The tears finally came, salty sweet and flowing freely. She remembered the weight of the blade in her hand, and how it had felt plunging it into his chest. She remembered what he had said, or thought.

 _I know, Miss Beckett._

She released another sob, finding her way to the bedroom. She might have cried until she was sick, but her world went dark from exhaustion once she had cried out all of her possible tears into a bed that smelled vaguely of those scents she came to associate with him.

It wasn't sleeping. It was torpor.

There were no dreams, no thoughts. It was pure, animal blackness. She started awake when she heard something slam in the apartment. She crawled out of the bed quickly, moving towards the door. She was still hopeful, and she called out his name.

"Ren?"

It wasn't him, though. The woman intruder turned to look at her.

"Amalia,"

* * *

 **oh boy, i told you this one was going to hurt, didn't i? this isn't the last chapter. donut fret.**


	16. In Dreams

Amalia slumped a bit, her hand settling on her hip. She was obviously looking for Ren. She didn't know, then, though they all had to suspect that something was going on. Rey couldn't even remember where his phone had ended up. She seemed irritated, but she didn't seem surprised.

"Something's different," She murmured, her eyes narrowing. Rey couldn't get over how lovely she was, and how she felt like such a small beetle next to her. "Please don't tell me that idiot was dumb enough to turn you,"

"No," Rey said in response, her voice quiet.

"What's wrong?" Amalia asked, her voice quiet and tenuous.

"He's dead," She said, barely able to get the words out.

Amalia was silent for a few long moments, staring at her curiously before she spoke again.

"I doubt that," She finally said. "Ren is a bit hard to kill,"

"I killed him,"

"Oh," She mouthed out, rather than really speaking the word. "Why?"

"It's a long story,"

Rey was expecting that she was going to get angry. She didn't. Her face seemed thoughtful, she was mulling over something before she released a puff of air and threw herself down on the couch. She patted the spot next to her without looking back at Rey. She seemed to have an air of 'you'd better explain it to me, then'. Rey was still afraid of her, even with whatever new abilities she'd been graced with, but she moved forward slowly and took a seat beside her.

Rey explained it as best as she could. Amalia was good at schooling her features not to have any sort of reaction, and Rey didn't have the benefit of having some sort of strange bond with her. She looked away once Rey was done relaying the story before slamming her hands onto the couch and using them to push herself up. She disappeared for a moment, and Rey was expecting she'd show up with a weapon or something, but instead, Amalia returned with an expensive looking bottle of wine. Rey looked at her carefully.

"What? Seems like you could use a drink. I could,"

Rey watched as she set a couple of wine glasses down in front of them. She uncorked it with one, long nail, and Rey watched with surprise and a sort of confused admiration. What a skill to have. She poured out a bit for each of them.

"Do you know Snoke?" Rey asked.

"Yup," Amalia said in response, swallowing back a bit of her wine. It didn't give her red wine teeth, miraculously.

"And?"

"We all hoped he was dead," She said, swishing her wine about in the deep bellied glass. "He's been sort of a plague since the beginning times," She said, taking another sip.

"I thought you'd be angry,"

"Oh, I am," She said, softly. "But it seems as if we have bigger problems now,"

"What do you mean?"

"Without Ren, every thing will be chaos," She said. "Especially if Snoke intends to take over, like you mentioned,"

"Everyone will just let that happen?"

"Yes," Amalia said. "Unless you step up,"

"What do you mean?"

"You're the one that killed him. Snoke is just taking credit for it. My guess is he turned you in the hope that he'll have control over you,"

"Is that how this works?"

"Sadly, yes," She took another sip. "Some of us have the benefit of having dead sires, or ancient sires that have been sleeping forever,"

"How will he control me?"

"Blood calls to blood," She said, as if it were the most simple fact. "You won't be able to deny him,"

"Shit," She muttered.

"He might have even been thinking you wouldn't make it through the process. It kills most,"

"I think, for some reason, he was hoping I would make it," She said, quietly. "I seem to have some sort of...um...value, to him,"

"Lucky you," Amalia said, taking another drink. "Listen, I don't like you," She admitted. "Fairly sure you don't like me...but without Ren you're going to be lost. I can help you, if only because I don't want to see what happens when Snoke takes over,"

"You're not angry I killed him?"

"Sounds like you didn't feel you had much of a choice,"

"What should I do then?"

"It would be better if your friend thought you were dead," Amalia said with a thoughtful look. "But maybe not," She tapped her elegant finger against her elegant chin. "I think you should go on living exactly like you have been. At least for the time,"

"My apartment is destroyed, all of my belongings are mostly gone,"

"I can help with that,"

"Why should I keep living as if nothing happened?"

"If Snoke believes you don't remember, it might buy some time. He'll be distracted with whatever it is he's got planned. I can do some snooping that you might not be able to do to see what I can find out,"

"I think he's done what he had planned,"

"Well, yeah," She said, evenly. "But I'm curious as to why he decided to let you live. There has to be a reason for it,"

"What about Ren?"

"Ren's Ren," She shrugged. "I doubt it was enough to take him out. Maybe you had to believe it for it to work on Snoke,"

"But it was a ceremonial blade and everything,"

Amalia laughed.

"I can see Snoke hasn't lost his affinity for drama, and wild fairy stories,"

* * *

They spent the rest of the night talking. Rey decided not to tell her about how she didn't seem to possess the allergy to sunlight that her counterparts did. She also decided not to tell her that she'd been able to do some weird stuff before she got turned. Rey felt more at ease around her, though she did get blunter the drunker she got. Rey found that even if they were vampires, they were still quite able to drink too much wine. Amalia seemed to know where Snoke would go, but she wanted to do some sniffing around first. Rey said she would stay in the apartment, in the small chance that Ren wasn't dead and he came back.

Rey felt in her heart it wouldn't happen, even if she really wanted to believe it would.

Time seemed to slow down after that. Rey kept expecting that Snoke would come back, or that something awful would make itself apparent after that terrible, bloody night, but she allowed herself to get comfortable. She stayed in Ren's apartment, though each night her hope became less and less that he would return. Eventually, she went back to school. She had a lot of catch up to do, and she had heard from Finn and Poe. It seemed like the night had never happened, at least not to them. She wondered if Phasma had had something to do with that. It explained why she woke up in that compound by herself.

She didn't say anything about any of it. She was able to keep up with her human facade pretty easily, considering that she could still go out into the sunlight. Every Friday night, Amalia ended up on the couch somehow. Rey would wake up on Saturday morning to find the black out curtains pulled with the beautiful woman passed out on the couch. She began to realize that her struggle with alcohol was more than just a struggle. They took up an uneasy friendship. They were careful not to talk about Ren, especially as time marched on. It became clearer to the both of them that he might not be coming back. She fed very rarely, only when it was completely necessary. Amalia noted on how little she needed.

She let herself grow comfortable. It seemed she had yet to learn her lesson about that, but it was difficult not to do that.

She had been sleeping in Ren's bed, though she had taken down his photographs at some point, hiding them away. Even if he'd never showed them to her, they were painful to look at. It was easy for Rey to convince herself that things were normal during the day, but it was difficult at night. She missed his presence, even if she had only really spent a couple of nights with him. That night, she woke up with a voice in her head. It wasn't Ren's.

She recognized it, but it was as if a part of her brain was shut off to recognizing it. It whispered nefarious things into the corners of her mind, until it became so strong and painful it was difficult to overcome. She had to make it stop. She got out of bed, sitting straight up as if her body was no longer hers. Stumbling towards the door like a puppet on strings, she opened the door and swung it open with a slam. Unfortunately, it was one such night where Amalia had ended up curled up on the couch.

Rey shambled into the kitchen and grabbed the biggest, sharpest kitchen knife. She found Amalia on the couch. Thankfully, the woman was alert, even if she was drunk, and her eyes opened just before Rey managed to swipe into her flesh. It would probably heal, but Amalia jumped out of the way of Rey's strangely jarred swiping.

"Rey!" She shouted. "What are you doing?!"

"I don't know," She said, though her arm swung out and she tossed the knife. Amalia managed to dodge it, but Rey only grabbed a heavy item that might have been good for bludgeoning.

"Stop it!" Amalia shouted, throwing items at her in an attempt to stave her off. Rey kept on, Amalia dodging each time. Once, Rey caught her, drawing blood, but she managed to roll off before more damage was done.

"Rey, think about Ren!" Amalia finally shouted.

Hearing his name immediately called him to mind, which was like a cold bucket of water to her face. She dropped her item, all malice having gone out of her. She shuddered, falling down like a baby deer. All of her energy had been expended and she hadn't even realized it. Amalia sighed, blowing her hair out of her face. Her make-up was smudged on the side where her face had been pressed into the couch.

"What in the hell was that?"

"I don't know," Rey gasped. "It was like something else was in control of me,"

"Oh," Amalia said quietly. "Shit," She cursed, moving over to kick the heavy object away from Rey. She leaned down in front of her. "Snoke?"

"It sounded like him,"

"Shit!" She said, standing up. She was probably going to get more booze. Rey was right, though this time Amalia didn't even bother with a glass. She wondered how much of a dent she'd put into Ren's wine stash.

She drank a few long gulps right out of the bottle, sitting down on the floor.

"Good thing alcohol can't kill you," Rey grumbled.

"Nope, but you can," She said in return, offering up the bottle. Rey declined. "This is bad news,"

"It's the only kind I seem to get," Rey pouted.

"Oh, shut up," Amalia said. "We'll figure it out. I've been sniffing around and I know where he is, and I know how we might be able to get into the tower without notice,"

"The tower?"

"Yeah," Amalia said. "It's where all the vampire royalty hang out. Thoroughly creepy place," She said, taking another swig. "You'll love it,"

"How are we going to get in?"

"A party,"

"Oh, great," Rey finally took the bottle and took a swig.

* * *

Rey didn't really know what they were going to do if they found Snoke. Amalia didn't seem to know either, but they both agreed they should go to see what information they could find out. Maybe they had been mourning Ren, but it seemed as if Snoke wasn't just going to go away. Rey began to hear him more often in the following days. Each time she thought of Ren, he pulled back, but it seemed like that might only be a temporary fix. And how long would she be able to recall him? She was sure bits and pieces of his memory would begin to fade, eventually.

There were nights when the immediacy of his memory made her weep, and she felt conflicted. She had thought she wanted it to fade, as all it caused now was pain. Still, he seemed to be the only way to keep her new vampire overlord at bay.

The night that the event came on them, Rey found the dressiest thing she could scrounge up out of her closet and went out into the living room to find Amalia standing there in a floor length gown that had shimmering crystals glued all over it. She looked like a princess, and when she got a good look at Rey, she pulled a face.

"You can't go like that," She said, enunciating the last word with displeasure.

"I don't have any floor length gowns," She said, irritated.

"Ugh," Amalia groaned out. "I had a feeling you'd dress like you're homeless," Amalia said. "I put a few dresses in the guest room," She motioned before digging into her glittering clutch for her cell phone, which was currently ringing.

Rey didn't have a chance to argue with her, as she picked up her phone and answered it. She went into the guest room to find a few plastic clad dresses. They still had their tags on them. Rey looked at each one before deciding on a black dress that was missing most of it's back. There were tiered strands of glittering chains strung across the opening in the back. It felt chilly on her bare back when she put it on. She grabbed a pair of shoes, finding it funny that she and the woman were the same size, shoe wise. Amalia was way too tall for these dresses to be hers, but Rey realized she might have been wrong about that.

When Rey finished dressing, she came out and looked at the vampire.

"It's a start," She conceded. "Come here,"

Amalia yanked her hair into a shiny twist that sat at the nape of her neck, and did her make up in a fashion that made her almost totally unrecognizable. Rey wondered if that was the point.

When Amalia lead her out to the car, she'd only just began to get the hang of the high heels, as they were higher than what she was used to. She paused, realizing that there was someone in the back seat. The man was gagged and bound, and Rey looked at Amalia with alarm, turning and staring her down.

"What? We have to bring a gift," Amalia said, pushing her shiny hair out of her face and sliding into the car as if it was normal.

"Gross," Rey said, under her breath.

The party was one that Rey was immediately on edge with. The building was huge, and dark, and there were rooms that were full of writhing bodies and death. Amalia seemed at home, and it made Rey wonder how she had ever come to terms with being a vampire. She lost track of the bound man as soon as they got through the doors, and she realized she didn't have much hope of finding him again. The place was like a funhouse, meant to disorient and bedazzle. Amalia whispered something about seeing what she could find out from her fellows, and she left Rey alone. The woman didn't seem to be worried for her safety. Rey found herself strangely serene about it, herself.

She had come to realize she might no longer be defenseless. She was faster, more agile, and certainly more in tune with her movements than she had been. The power she'd had trouble calling on before was there, resting right beneath the surface - ready to be brought forth at any moment. She wasn't sure what would happen if it was called upon, but she had to hope that it wouldn't be too surprising.

There was a grand ball room, full of dancers, swinging lights and more alcohol than she was sure was humanly possible to consume. There were other substances too, and there were humans who seemed oblivious that they'd been invited into a den of iniquity that housed wolves. Vampires were predators, after all. Rey didn't find herself swept into the dark allure of it all, in fact, most of it made her wish that she was still human. It did, however, present her with an opportunity to slip away unnoticed.

She saw nothing of Snoke, and felt nothing of his presence. She wondered if the evening would be a bust. However, she was sure that she could find something interesting here.

She caught a glimpse of something in the corner of her vision. The pull was strong, and she turned to try and get a full look at whatever or whoever it was. She missed it, but caught a glimpse of a tall man making his way up a winding, glittering staircase. Maybe it was her desperation that made her follow what was surely a total stranger up the stairs, but she found herself rushing up the stairs after him. The shoes she borrowed from Amalia slowed her down, so when she reached the top of the stairs she was met with nothing but an empty hallway. She looked down each way, but there was no one there.

"I am going crazy," She muttered, to herself.

She followed her instinct anyway, trying to move as quietly as possible down the hall way. The doors were closed, but she heard plenty of activity going on behind them. She loathed vampires, she realized. She loathed the fact that she now appeared to be one. She wanted to burn this place off of the map - blot it out like it was a nasty zit to be popped. She kept walking, feeling the whispering at the edge of her mind growing stronger and more potent. She realized this might have been a trick of Snoke's, but it didn't stop her from continuing on. Even just an image, an illusion of him would feed some part of her aching heart, wouldn't it?

The place was like a maze, and she moved down the hallways realizing she might have lost him, and had been lead up here only to run into the new face of her nightmares. She found a door standing ajar. The further she got from the party, the quieter the building got. She stopped in front of the door, quietly pushing it open. He stood across the mirrored floor. Rey was forced to look up, finding that the ceiling was lit up with twinkling lights. It was so realistic that Rey wondered if she was looking at the sky itself.

His hands were in his pockets. She realized it could be no one else but him, from head to toe it was Ren as she remembered him, in his expensive suit with a glittering watch at his wrist. His dark hair was perfectly waved, the low light of the room make it look as if it shimmered. She took a few careful steps forward. She thought that once she reached him, he would disappear. He turned.

There was no denying it, then. It was Ren. His face was strangely open, almost boyish. He was looking at her so hopefully it nearly caused her to cry aloud.

"Ren," She whispered out, the tears rolling down her face quite freely now.

She reached out, her fingertips grasping the lapels of his coat. She was sure he would disappear as she reached for him, but he didn't. She felt his hands slide along her bare elbows, and they stood there staring at one another as if they were both having an extremely vivid dream. When he reached up and brushed the tears from her cheeks, she felt there was no way that it wasn't real.

"Asshole," She said, tears in her eyes. "What are you doing here?" She finally asked. If he'd been alive all this time, why hadn't he come home? "I thought you were dead," It came out in a sob.

"I thought you were dead," He responded, his brows dropping in confusion.

She had to wonder at what Snoke was playing at. She wasn't sure this was someone who was just made to look like him. She found herself yanking at his tie, pulling it loose and away from the collar of his shirt. She unbuttoned it feverishly, and anyone who came on them might think she was after something else. Her fingertips pulled the fabric away, revealing the planes of his chest. She saw it then, the puncture where she'd stabbed him. It was black and still healing, but there could be no doubt that it was the wound she'd inflicted on him.

He was watching her, bemused.

"You're different," He said, as if there was no danger at all.

"I'm a vampire, idiot," She muttered, though she couldn't help but step forward and wrap her arms around him.

"Rey," He said simply, into her ear. "I need you to listen to me,"

"What?" She sniffed, pulling her head back. She realized she was loosing her grasp on him. He was slipping away like smoke.

"I don't have much time," He paused, becoming something more of a ghost. "You have to get out of here," He was urgent. "I'm here, but not here. The closer you get to Snoke the harder it's going to be to keep him out of your head,"

"Ren," She muttered, trying something, anything to keep him from disappearing. "Ren!"

"You have to find a way to break the connection between you," He said, his voice echoing.

"How?" She shouted, as if it might bring him back.

He was gone.

Rey shot up, not even aware she'd been asleep. She saw Amalia and a few others peering into her face. Her head was pounding, and she heard the vague and familiar whispers receding. She reached out to where the pain radiated from and found that she was bleeding. The wound seemed to be healing itself apace, but it hurt like hell. There were tears rolling down her face, and she was sure she could smell Ren's faint scent still in the air.

"Are you alright?" Amalia asked, leaning down ever further to help her into an upright position. "You passed out," She fanned her. "I heard the yelling from the other room,"

"I don't...know," She said, rubbing at her head.

"Let's get out of here," Amalia said quietly, using her pure vampire strength to help Rey up. "Snoke's not here,"

"Did you find anything out?"

"Yeah, a few things, but we should go," Rey looked around, realizing there was a whole group of glowing eyed vampires gathered around them. "I think we've worn out our welcome," Amalia paused, letting Rey use her as a crutch. "And even I'm not stupid enough to try and take on a whole room full of horny vampires," She whispered.

Rey laughed, weakly.

* * *

 **aww man i tried not to do the dream trope. i really did. also rey and amalia are now wine friends. i hate the jealous girl trope, so i turned it on its heyud. also, would any of you lovely people be interested in beta-reading for me? send me a pm y'all**


	17. You, again

The night brought more dreams. She dreamed of Snoke, who seemed to have strung puppet strings from her, and he moved her in ways she couldn't expect or even know. She dreamed of Ren, though he was a lost thing, shadowy and untouchable, only their at the corners of her version. Maybe Snoke was responsible for these dreams, but they seemed human in nature - the side effect of too much anxiety and a feeling of having lost control.

Amalia had left her in Ren's apartment with the information that she had something to deal with. They didn't get a chance to talk about what she had found out at the party, so the entire event now felt completely fruitless. Rey had never asked what the woman did for a living, if anything, but she found the apartment much more lonely without her. Even hearing her music through the walls was a comfort, but now the place was silent. Her senses were more alert than they had ever been, and when she felt something shift in the darkness, she was quick to get out of Ren's empty bed. Her first thought was always that it was him, but when she reached out into the dark she found that there was nothing there that was comforting.

She moved silently out into the hallway, only to be accosted by light when someone flicked the switch on. She stumbled backwards when she realized who it was. Her first thought to escape him was to get back into the bedroom, but her legs suddenly felt as if they were encased in ice and she couldn't move. She was forced to turn and face him, full on.

He looked younger, somehow, as if ingesting her blood had made him younger. He was still no spring chicken, but he looked like a less devastating crater, at least. He seemed less mad, as if his mind had been steadied somehow. The effect might not have been long lasting, but he didn't accost her with his strange sayings and eerie laughter just yet. She struggled against the feeling of stasis, though she realized it was a direct effect of Snoke, the vampire who was standing in front of her. They didn't talk, Rey just kept trying to break free of him, but she realized that the smirk grew on his features the more she struggled.

"You thought I wouldn't come for you?" He asked, his voice a hiss.

"I don't know," She said, quietly. "Let me go,"

"No," He said. "You'll come with me,"

To her horror, she began moving forward. She had no intent to do so, but her movements were against her. He was controlling her. It was like Ren had said, the closer he got, the easier it would be. She couldn't imagine why he had bothered with her, but there was a small thought in the back of her head: what was she? She could still walk in the sunlight, but now that he'd turned her it seemed she was still dependent on blood.

When she took a few steps forward, against her will, she saw that Snoke had brought a group of vampires with him. She sucked in air when she recognized Ren, standing among his rank of vampires. She looked confused, and hurt, and she wanted to speak his name, but something was preventing her from doing so. She had the horrible realization that he might have been in on this all along, and she felt her heart shatter into a million tiny little pieces (again). She wanted to cry, but she wasn't in possession of herself at that very moment. She felt the cold chill of Snoke's influence sliding along her flesh like a cool snake. She wished she could shake him off, but the more she fought him, the more exhausted she got.

"Contain her," Snoke said, as if he were handling something that might explode with a moment's notice.

It was Ren that stepped forward. He had something in his hand, and she recognized the viper-like binds that had kept Rose. She wanted to scream at him, but all she could do was look at him. He looked better than he ever had. His hair was blacker than the night itself, glittering with a shine that she was sure someone in a hair ad would be envious of. His eyes were nearly black, and she looked for that telltale red pinprick there, but could find nothing. His skin was fine alabaster, but even so, she could see the remnants of the scarring on his face. Somehow, Snoke had kept him alive, but for what reason she didn't know.

She felt the tears rolling down her face, though she couldn't put word to her emotions. Snoke had choked the words off at the source, and all she could do was cry silently and look at him with a glassy, fierce gaze. She was promising herself that she would kill him. If she ever got out of this, she would make sure the job was done herself. She wondered if Amalia had been in on it too, but she had a hard time believing the woman would even help her at all if there wasn't some thought that she was also helping Ren.

And there he stood, looking as if he'd been painted in the heavens and put to life by some artists' thoughtful hand.

She really wanted to hate him.

And yet, when he drew nearer, she felt that inexplicable pull she always felt. She wanted to throw herself around his neck and ask him why he hadn't come back, why he had allowed the farce to go on for so long. Snoke seemed to be enjoying the show, a grin settled on his face as he seemed to be reading her every thought.

"Silly girl," He said. "He's my creature, now," Ren clamped the bind around her wrists, and she felt them tighten. "Would be much easier if you didn't fight me," He hemmed. "Then you could have what you want. We could all have what we want,"

Rey looked at him, and he pointed at Ren. She wasn't sure she wanted him, any longer. There was a small voice in the back of her head that called her a liar, and she knew she was lying to herself. She did want him. She wasn't sure that she hadn't wanted him from the first moment she had laid eyes on him. She hated herself for it, she hated herself for having let it go on for as long as she had.

She wasn't sure that walking away from him had even been an option, however.

Snoke released his ugly tendrils of intent from her body and she felt weak, and Ren came forward and caught her before she had a chance to fall. He lifted her up as if she was nothing at all, though she wasn't surprised. He seemed twice as strong and vibrant as he had before, and she knew he had been powerful before. She wondered what kept him from tearing Snoke's head off, but she could only guess that it was the same thing that kept her in his sway.

Had he saved them both, just so that he could control them? Did it work that way, when someone was already a vampire?

Rey was treated comfortably, though Ren didn't look at her the entire time he carried her out of the apartment. She studied his features freely, though he never looked back at her. She felt, with painful clarity, that the connection between them had been severed. She reached out as she had before, trying to find some semblance of what was there before, and she was met with only static and noise. The last time she saw him was when he was depositing her into the trunk of a car, and slamming it shut.

Then, there was only darkness, and the faint smell of gasoline.

* * *

Snoke's 'house' was in the hills. It was a long drive, and by the time Ren pulled her out of the trunk, she was feeling a bit like a pretzel who had been folded up. Her body wasn't sore, as she was expecting, but she felt the discomfort of it anyway. She was lead, by her own volition, up a winding path and into a house that gave the Winchester mystery mansion a run for it's money. There were twisting halls, doors that went nowhere, doors at the end of stair cases that one would have to fall into to get through. Then, there were the 'others', the humans that had come here worshiping some false God, IE, Snoke. They were mad, driven mad by vampire blood and whatever else. Some of them were outright aggressive, hidden away in the depths of his home like rats that had yet to be exterminated.

Rey was sure that if Hell existed, this must be a circle of it.

She was shown into a room that was slowly being taken over by decay, and mis-care. It must have been a nice place once, but now, it had the stink of something evil, something infected. She was shown to a room. Rey felt dirty just standing in it. There was a heart shaped bed that someone had probably lifted from a dump day, and over it hung a canopy of torn fabric. She wondered if it was the best he had to offer.

There was someone at the door, but it wasn't Ren. She didn't know how she knew, but she suddenly became aware of a whole bevy of sounds and noises she hadn't known about before. She could hear an occasional thought drift through from one of the human 'pets' Snoke kept. She wondered how long he meant to keep her there. She felt that same power curling up from the depths of her belly, and she wondered if she could call on it. She focused all of her energy on it, that faint whisper of what she'd felt before, and she realized she could see beyond the walls. She saw each guard, each strange human. When she reached far, she could see Snoke and Ren. They were talking to one another, but she couldn't hear what they were saying.

A noise drew her away, back into the room where she was currently sitting. There was a man, standing in front of her. He tossed a white, linen shift at her.

"Master wants you to wear this," He said in a hiss, and she leveled her gaze at him.

She wasn't going to wear anything but what she was wearing. And she was angry enough that she would not allow herself to be bullied. The fear that she'd relied on so heavily in the past few weeks seemed to have left her, and she was curious to find out just how far this new ability of hers went. If Ren didn't want to be rescued, she was decided that she would leave him here to rot with Snoke, no matter how many goons they sent after her. She felt it lash out like a scorpion stinging, and it took whatever form her rage intended. The vampire in front of her stood little chance against it, he was obliterated into nothing but a skeleton and ash when she finally was able to set it loose.

She felt the blow back of it immensely, though instead of feeling exhausted, she simply felt exhilarated. She felt a small twinge of guilt, but she couldn't stay here. She wouldn't stay here. The burst of power did not go unnoticed, as Snoke and Ren were suddenly at the door. Snoke looked bemused, and Ren looked aloof.

She wondered if she could obliterate him too, but when she began to call on the strange new energy, Snoke stifled it. He twisted her down into a smaller version of herself, causing pain to shoot up along her entire body until she was writing and screaming on the floor. He seemed to get enjoyment from it, and he might have continued to do it if Ren hadn't stayed his hand.

She wondered if he'd done it because he still cared for her, or if her purpose to them was just that important.

"I won't kill you," He whispered. "Not yet. You're too precious," He seethed. "Your blood will make mine more powerful," He hacked out a cackle.

She felt the pain abate as Snoke left her, but she realized that Ren was still standing there. When he leaned down, she pulled away from him instinctively.

"Don't touch me," She said, her voice weak. She wasn't sure she sounded like she meant it. "Have you known about this all along?"

She waited for a reply, but he didn't give one. She looked at him, and his eyes were wide, and open. He shook his head, but his mouth remained a straight line. She watched him curiously, wondering why he didn't speak. She thought he hadn't ever been afraid of responding to her. It then occurred to her that he couldn't respond to her. She watched him as he tried, but no words were formed.

She watched him, drawing herself into a sitting position. She thought he wanted to tell her something, anything, but nothing came. The look in his eyes was hard to decipher, but she knew that he hadn't known she was alive, up until that very night. She wondered if this Ren was aware of the strange dream he'd given her. It appeared that Snoke had the very same level of control over him as he did over her, perhaps more so. He leaned in, his hands on either side of her face before he kissed her. He drew the wind from her sails and the air from her lungs, and she gave into it, despite the firm thought that she would not. She couldn't help herself, all she wanted was to carry the both of them far away from here.

Something changed, and he went lax. She pulled back from the kiss to find that he was no longer there, his eyes a muted brown that didn't seem to see anything at all. He was no longer home, she thought. She watched him stand upright, and leave her there. She was to be guarded, but she wasn't to be free. The guards at the door came in, and after a scuffle, bound her in those same ropes that Rose had been bound in. If she didn't get out of them, they'd kill her.

She sat in silence, trying to clear her mind enough to make a plan to get herself out of there.

* * *

Rey spent the day counting. She counted how many bodies there were. She counted the rooms between her and Snoke. She wondered at sneaking out. She wondered at taking all of them out in a blaze of glory. She wondered if she could manage it. When night fell again, Snoke came back, whispering vile nothings into her ear and making her stand up, and dress herself in the simple white shift. He watched her, which felt much more like a violation than anything else she had felt thus far, though his intrusion into her thoughts was rape enough. Ren stood by his side, a doll to his whims. He didn't look at her.

She was forcibly removed from the room, and dragged along at his side, some sick and mocking display of a king with his queen. Rey was lead into a room that looked like it had originally been meant for business conferences. It was covered in gray carpeting, and gray chairs were tossed askew, and she wondered at it. She almost laughed, thinking it was amusing that he should do whatever nefarious deeds he intended from an entirely bland looking conference room that had likely seen a number of 'continental' breakfasts.

Rey was forced to stand at the head of the room, beside Snoke. The room filled quickly, the stench of unwashed humans and carrion vampires almost choking. Snoke spoke to them in the manner of a cult leader. He promised that they would have all that they wanted, though Rey could only guess that what had brought them here was a need to belong. She doubted that they had guessed at the horrors beyond. He promised that they had found of their answers in her.

She wondered if he wasn't about to sacrifice her to the crowd. She was dragged forward, and she felt that pull of his stasis on her as surely as she felt the breeze on her skin. She watched as Ren pulled a sharp, long needle from somewhere on his person. It was confusing. He grasped her hand, and drove the needle into the soft pad of her finger. There, a simple drop of blood.

"Who will come first?"

She watched as a young woman came up to her. Her hand was forced out, presented to the woman. She reminded Rey of Hilda, that same, mad energy. She wondered if they were all a product of Snoke, getting more insane as his blood got weaker. She watched as the girl drew the drop of blood on her fingertip away from Rey's finger. She seemed to exalt it, but finally, she placed it to her lips. Rey watched as her eyes turned black. The madness was gone, and replacing it was strength, and fire. She began to realize what he intended to do with her.

Was this how he was to fortify his "troops"?

The day got much longer as her finger was pricked, over and over again. They never seemed to end, he had a bevy of followers who were simply looking for a drop of blood. She had a sinking feeling that it wouldn't always be enough. He kept her in stasis through the entirety of it, but a strange thing happened as the day waned. It seemed as if he lost his grip on her, the strength of his intention seemed to get weaker the more that this went on. She felt the movement return to her limbs, though she stayed still. She didn't want him to realize he was slipping. His hold on Ren slipped too, and she could see in his eyes that he was now aware of what he was doing. Every time he pricked her, there seemed to be an apology there that he could not speak.

Finally, it ended.

And when it ended, Snoke's words were dire and strange: _Take the tower._

And suddenly, the room was empty, but for the three of them and the few remaining goons he set up as his apparent security detail.

She was returned to her room, thrown into it as if she were nothing more than a blood bag, meant to give strength to mad vampires and addicted humans. She felt thoroughly used up, though she felt strange when she looked down to her finger to find that it had healed over with no sign of having been assaulted over and over again. Rey could not have lost much blood, but she found herself exhausted. The thought of sleeping on the heart shaped bed made her skin crawl, so she put her own clothes back on and curled up in a corner of the room. At least there she might avoid whatever was hiding in the mattress for a time. Her mind fought sleep, but she was too exhausted to do much else.

* * *

 **When she woke up, it was in the warmth of a bed that was far more comfortable than the floor of a strange mansion. It was Ren's bed. She felt the sheets, warmed against her skin, and she peered up to find the sunlight streaming into the room. She lifted her head, still heavy with sleep, and found the expanse of Ren's back turned to her. The sunlight had warmed his skin, and he didn't seem to be melting away into ash. She traced the lines of his back, finding it was free of scars. He seemed to be sporting a bit of a tan, in fact. She pressed herself against the sun warmed skin of his back, though it was brief. He shifted, taking a moment to draw her up into his arms.**

 **He smelled different, like sleep and human, a smell she could honestly never say she'd gotten from him. This was a Ren she didn't know, and yet they knew each other quite intimately. She could feel her own heart beat thudding away in her chest as she tried to wipe the sleep away from her mind, though it was hard when everything was so warm and welcoming.**

 **There were things she had to ask him, things she needed to know, but they drifted from her consciousness as if they were never there at all. It was oh-so-easy to get lost in the seductive peril of this display, it was what she wanted, after all. Finally, she heard the deep rumblings of his voice, and she felt her mouth quirk up with a small smile. It was a sound she missed, but she couldn't remember why she'd missed it so desperately. It seemed stupid, now.**

 **"Coffee?"**

 **"I'll make it," She said. "You're terrible at it," She was playful then, and she heard the husky laugh that erupted from him.**

 **"I'm not," He said, though he didn't fight her as she squirmed her way out of his arms.**

 **She slid a robe on over her bare shoulders, tying it at the waist. She knew he was watching her, and she drew her hair over to one side before smirking back at him, enjoying the languid way he reposed in bed. She left him behind, suddenly feeling as if they had all of the time in the world to be just as they were then. She was forgetting something, she was sure of it. It slipped further and further from her mind as she went about the task of making coffee.**

 **She thought about breakfast, and though there was a brief moment of hesitation that crossed her thoughts, she continued on with what felt like a normal routine. It was inertia, carrying her on, even if something about it felt wrong. She cracked eggs, scrambled them and drank coffee. She looked at the paper, unsure if she could really read any of the words that were presented therein. When she turned, she saw him standing in the entry way in his navy blue suit. She smiled, though it was bittersweet.**

 **"Where are you going?" She asked, taking another sip of coffee.**

 **"I have to go," He said, already prepared to pepper her with apologies and promises.**

 **"I made breakfast," She said, a pout on her lips.**

 **She stepped close to him, smoothing the lapels on his jacket, looking up to him. He looked down at her, a smile on his lips. She leaned up, kissing him. He kissed her back, and she pulled at the lapels of his coat, trying to trap him in a web so that he couldn't leave. She pulled him down, and he slid his arms around her, knocking the scanty robe askew. He pulled back, drawing in a shaky breath of air.**

 **"You are clever," He said. "But I still have to go to work,"**

 **She smiled, and though she wanted to defy him, she let him go. She watched as he grabbed a piece of paper, scribbling something there and folding it up. He poured himself a cup of coffee and ate what he could, and when he stood close to her he slid the note into the pocket of her robe. He gave her another kiss before he disappeared, leaving her behind in the strangely sunny kitchen.**

 **When he was gone, she pulled the note from her pocket. The handwriting was stilted, as if it had been painful for him to try and attempt it. It read:**

 ** _Snoke sleeps before sunrise. Try and find me. I need your help._**

 **Rey woke with a sharp breath of air, and all of the scents and sounds of Snoke's horrible house came rushing in. The dream had been just that, a dream. But Ren had left her a message, and that meant that she needed to have a plan.**

* * *

 ** _sorreee this took me so long. there's a lot of horribleness here, but there is also some fluff. i hope you enjoy the fluff. if this has gotten crazy it is because i am crazy. didn't you know that when you started reading this WEIRD STORY?!_**


	18. update

hey folks! i am goin' through some stuff, so i've sort of put this fic on hold for the time being. i am trying not to get evicted. i am still keeping up with rainfall, which is over ao3, if you want to search .terrible.

do you like my work and maybe want to help me out?

buy me a coffee!

/darkandterrible


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